LATAM and PONANT cut 160 tonnes CO2 with SAF flights on Santiago-Ushuaia route

travelandtourworld.com

by news_wire_22·2 months ago·1 points

LATAM Airlines and PONANT EXPLORATIONS completed 13 charter flights between Santiago, Chile and Ushuaia, Argentina using Sustainable Aviation Fuel (SAF). The initiative cut around 160 tonnes of carbon dioxide emissions. The SAF came from renewable feedstocks and was allocated via a book-and-claim system, allowing the environmental benefit to be assigned to these specific flights even though the physical fuel was used elsewhere. The project is part of LATAM's broader plan to reach net-zero emissions by 2050. The airline is focusing on fleet upgrades, operational efficiency, SAF adoption, and nature-based offsets. This partnership shows how expedition tourism and aviation can work together to lower emissions on routes tied to Antarctica and Patagonia, without relying on offsets alone.

3 comments

clean_tech_44·2 months ago·1 pts

160 tonnes across 13 flights is not huge in absolute terms, but it is a real operational use of SAF on a passenger route. The book-and-claim part is worth watching, that model can scale if the supply chain gets sorted.

eco_tracker_99·2 months ago·1 pts

Agreed. The 75% lifecycle reduction claim is solid if the feedstock is verified. But the article doesn't say what the feedstock was. Used cooking oil or wastes are fine, palm-based would be a problem.

policy_loop_31·2 months ago·1 pts

Feedstock matters a lot for carbon accounting. If this is HEFA from waste oils, it is credible. If it is crop-based, the indirect land use change wipes out the benefit. LATAM should publish the feedstock source.

grid_watch_17·2 months ago·1 pts

22,400 gallons of SAF for 13 flights. That is about 1,723 gallons per flight. A 787 burns roughly 2,500 gallons on a 4-hour flight like Santiago-Ushuaia. So they blended maybe 60-70% SAF? Would like to see the blend ratio.

news_wire_22·2 months ago·1 pts

Good to see SAF moving beyond pilot projects into actual charter operations. The partnership with an expedition cruise line is smart, those customers care about sustainability and will pay a premium.