Photo: Lufthansa Group Last month, we reported on a record-breaking agreement inked by American Airlines and Google for the purchase of Sustainable Aviation Fuel Certificates (SAFc). The deal, considered the largest deal ever disclosed between an airline and a single corporate customer in this space, came to once again emphasize the high interest in and need of SAF in the industry.
Last week, another major aviation group, Lufthansa, joined in on the fight toward a greener future in aviation by announcing a similar partnership with Deutsche Bank aimed at expanding the use of SAF and cutting the environmental impact of corporate travel.
In a similar move, in May, SWISS partnered with Metafuels to develop SAF from green methanol, aiming to scale sustainable aviation fuel for existing aircraft and reduce emissions.
Photo: Lufthansa Group
Under the new agreement with Lufthansa, Deutsche Bank will support the deployment of approximately 1,600 metric tonnes of SAF, a volume expected to reduce carbon dioxide emissions by around 5,500 metric tonnes over its lifecycle. According to the companies, that is roughly equivalent to the emissions generated by about 520 flights between Frankfurt and London operated by an Airbus A320neo.
The partnership builds on the companies' existing relationship following the launch of the Miles & More Credit Card by Deutsche Bank in October 2025. Both organizations say they now plan to deepen their cooperation on sustainability initiatives aimed at supporting the aviation industry's transition toward lower emissions.
Frank Naeve, Senior Vice President Global Sales and Distribution at Lufthansa Group, explained that the agreement comes to prove that more businesses are making sustainable aviation a priority. He added that investments in SAF allow companies to make measurable progress in reducing the climate impact of their travel.
Deutsche Bank's Chief Sustainability Officer, Jörg Eigendorf, described Sustainable Aviation Fuel as an important tool in the bank's target of nearly halving supply chain emissions by 2030 compared with 2019 levels. He also said creating reliable demand is essential for encouraging producers to expand SAF production and improve its affordability.
Lufthansa Group has steadily expanded its portfolio of sustainable travel products for corporate customers. Through bulk SAF agreements, companies can purchase larger quantities of sustainable fuel and receive certified Scope 3 emissions reductions under the Greenhouse Gas Protocol.
The airline group said demand for sustainable travel options continues to grow. More than 1,700 companies invested in SAF through Lufthansa's corporate programs during 2025, while over 5% of passengers chose more sustainable fare options, including Green Fares. Lufthansa also reported that its overall SAF sales more than doubled last year.
The carrier says expanding SAF use, modernizing aircraft fleets, improving operational efficiency, and strengthening rail and air connections remain central pillars of its long-term sustainability strategy.
At the end of January, El Al joined a Boeing-led Sustainable Aviation Fuel initiative aimed at developing less polluting fuels, with the airline announcing that it would fund research that could cut aircraft emissions as early as 2027.
At the end of May, Japan Airlines, together with Tohoku University and other Japanese companies, announced they are exploring the use of biofuel produced from rice bran oil byproducts to power ground equipment at Yamagata Airport.