LONDON, UK — oneworld alliance convened its inaugural Innovation Summit at Battersea Power Station, bringing together airline executives, innovators, and experts to explore advancements in sustainable aviation and future technologies.

A highlight was the announcement of a strategic partnership with Neste, the world’s leading SAF producer, aimed at accelerating the adoption of sustainable fuels throughout the alliance. This builds on oneworld member airlines’ existing commitment to using 10% SAF by 2030. Additionally, the event spotlighted progress by carriers like Cathay Pacific, Finnair, and Iberia in integrating SAF, with Finnair set to implement a 10% SAF blend for all flights departing Helsinki Airport starting in 2024.

In the context of aviation’s net-zero ambitions by 2050 per IATA guidelines, where SAF production currently meets less than 1% of demand, this partnership leverages collective scale to enhance supply access and potentially lower premiums (typically 2-4 times conventional fuel costs). The summit also featured discussions on innovations such as eVTOL from Joby Aviation and AI analytics from IBM, underscoring opportunities for emissions reduction through tech integration.

“In a key announcement, oneworld announced a strategic partnership with Neste, the world’s leading producer of SAF, to accelerate the adoption of sustainable fuels across the alliance,” as stated in the official release.

For alliance members and suppliers, these steps provide frameworks for joint procurement, aiding compliance with policies like EU ReFuelEU Aviation and CORSIA. Challenges include expanding global SAF infrastructure, but aggregated demand could stimulate investments, particularly in high-growth regions projecting 4-5% annual aviation expansion per ICAO.

Source: oneworld Alliance via PRNewswire, “oneworld Innovation Summit showcases airlines and innovators powering the future of flight,” October 9, 2025.