Airbus and the Cathay Group have unveiled a joint investment of up to US$70 million to accelerate the development and scaling of sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) production across Asia and globally.
The announcement was made in Hong Kong on the sidelines of the IATA World Sustainability Symposium, at a ceremony hosted by Alex McGowan, Cathay’s Chief Operations and Service Delivery Officer, and Anand Stanley, President Asia-Pacific at Airbus.
Under the partnership, the two companies will jointly identify, assess, and invest in SAF projects with strong potential for commercial viability, technological maturity, and long-term offtake. The initiative aims to advance the aviation sector’s transition towards low-carbon operations and support global efforts to meet decarbonisation targets by 2030 and beyond.
“SAF remains the most important lever for Cathay and the wider aviation industry to drive toward our decarbonisation goals,” said McGowan. “This partnership with Airbus reinforces our long-term strategy to scale SAF production and complements our recent participation in the oneworld BEV SAF Fund.”
Airbus’s Stanley added: “The production and distribution of affordable SAF at scale demands an unprecedented cross-sectoral approach. Our collaboration with Cathay demonstrates how global partnerships can help catalyse SAF production in regions with strong potential.”
The investment will also support policy advocacy to promote SAF adoption across Asia, addressing both supply and demand challenges. With the region’s abundant feedstock resources, growing production capabilities, and dynamic aviation sector, the partnership seeks to accelerate the development of a robust SAF ecosystem.
Airbus and Cathay’s relationship dates back to 1989, when the airline placed its first Airbus order. Today, the Cathay Group operates 86 Airbus aircraft, with more than 70 additional planes on order for future delivery.
