Virgin Australia has entered an agreement with Viva Energy to source Sustainable Aviation Fuel (SAF) for its flights departing from Proserpine, Queensland, between March and July 2025.
Produced using renewable resources such as waste oils, agricultural residues and non-food crops, SAF is considered a critical game-changer in the aviation industry’s efforts to reach net zero emissions by 2050.
“SAF represents the critical long-term opportunity in commercial aviation’s pursuit of its 2050 net zero emissions ambition,” says Virgin Australia Chief Corporate Affairs and Sustainability Officer, Christian Bennett.
Under the terms of the agreement, Viva Energy will provide Virgin Australia with SAF consisting of Jet A1 and a 30-40 per cent synthetic blend component made from waste and residue feedstocks. The blend is fully compatible with existing aircraft and fuelling infrastructure, and all regulatory and safety requirements.
“Partnership, focused policy development, and collaborations such as this with Viva Energy will be essential if we are to adopt successfully SAF’s broader use in Australia over the years and decades ahead,” Bennett added.
“Ensuring SAF is affordable and accessible will be key to achieving lowest cost carbon abatement at the same time as maintaining the essential role of aviation in connecting Australian communities.”
This collaboration will allow Viva Energy to continue expanding its ability to supply SAF-blended jet fuel across Australia utilising its infrastructure assets, while exploring regional SAF delivery, storage and handling, and direct into wing-dispensing.
“It is clear that SAF is going to play a bigger role for commercial airlines in this country as they move towards a more sustainable future,” says Viva Energy’s General Manager for Aviation, Nick Adams.
“Through this collaboration – and drawing on the strengths of Viva Energy’s national distribution network and experience supplying high-quality fuels and aviation operations – we will be working with Virgin Australia to establish the supply chains that will be critical to the future of the aviation industry. Viva Energy is also delighted to be helping a key partner like Virgin Australia in its sustainability journey.”
SAF is considered the most viable long-term solution for the decarbonisation of the aviation industry. However, it is currently both cost-prohibitive and volumetrically scarce to deploy broadly.
