Neste will supply DHL Express with 9.5m litres of locally produced sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) for international flights out of Singapore Changi Airport (SIN) for the first time.
The SAF will account for about 35% to 40% of the overall fuel usage of DHL Express’ five Boeing 777 freighters based at the South Asia Hub at SIN.
These intercontinental flights depart from the airport 12 times a week, connecting Singapore to Asia and the Americas.
As well as this being DHL’s first direct procurement of SAF for its flights going out of SIN, the contract from July 2025 to June 2026 is one of the largest ever SAF deals in Asia for the air cargo sector in terms of volume.
Christopher Ong, managing director for DHL Express Singapore, said: “This partnership with Neste to procure and uplift SAF for DHL Express’ international air cargo flights from Singapore is a significant milestone for us.
"Not only will it enable us to gain new strides in emissions reduction in air transport, but it also allows us to strengthen our commitment to customers to provide more sustainable shipping options.
"As one of the largest users of SAF globally, DHL Express is leading the way towards more sustainable logistics and driving voluntary demand for SAF adoption. We are not just meeting industry standards but setting them."
Carl Nyberg, senior vice president commercial, renewable products at Neste, said: “We are excited to expand our cooperation with DHL to Singapore, a leading aviation hub in Asia Pacific.
"It leverages our SAF production and supply capabilities in Singapore and demonstrates how we are working together with DHL globally to help the company achieve its air transportation decarbonization targets using a solution that is available at scale today.”
The agreement will contribute to Singapore’s target to reduce carbon emissions in the aviation sector through a 1% target of SAF usage for all passenger and cargo flights from 2026 onwards.
DHL currently uses SAF at airports around the world, including Amsterdam Schiphol (Netherlands), Stockholm Arlanda Airport (Sweden), Brussels Airport (Belgium), East Midlands Airport (UK), Los Angeles International Airport (US), Leipzig Airport (Germany), Miami International Airport (US), San Francisco International Airport (US), Stansted Airport (UK), and Nagoya Airport (Japan).
Since 2022, DHL Express has enabled the use of SAF for its customers through its GoGreen Plus service, which allows customers to reduce their Scope 3 greenhouse gas emissions.
The most recent GoGreen Plus contract signed by DHL Express is with Avia Solutions Group.
