Wizz Air, one of Europe’s fastest-growing and most ecologically sustainable airlines, has agreed to a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with OMV, a Vienna-based worldwide integrated oil, gas, and chemicals corporation, for the supply of sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) between 2023 and 2030. The MoU allows Wizz Air to acquire up to 185,000 metric tons of SAF from OMV. This collaboration ensures that Wizz Air can move forward with its objective to reduce CO2 intensity per passenger kilometre.
Today’s news strengthens Wizz Air’s position as the most environmentally friendly option for air travel. It is an essential component of the airline’s environmental strategy, aiming to cut carbon emissions by 25% by 2030 and achieve net zero by 2050. Wizz Air is already driving the aviation industry to a more sustainable future, with the lowest CO2 intensity per passenger kilometre in Europe, one of the world’s youngest fleets, and several fuel economy programs.
Owain Jones, Development Officer at Wizz Air, says, “We have achieved our market-leading sustainability position by continued investment in innovative technology and operating the most up-to-date aircraft efficiently. Wizz Air’s commitment is to drive our own emissions intensity down by a further 25% by the end of the decade, with the use of SAF playing a significant role in that commitment. Supporting the production and research of SAF technologies is one of our priorities, and we are pleased to cooperate with OMV to further reduce the aviation industry’s carbon footprint. The new MoU is a testament to our commitment to ensuring that by choosing to fly with Wizz Air, our customers make the most responsible choice of air travel available.”
OMV is embarking on a slew of initiatives to meet its lofty strategic sustainability targets, and SAF is a critical technology for decarbonizing the aviation sector. The target is to increase SAF output to 700,000 tons by 2030. This is consistent with OMV’s goal of being a net zero firm by 2050 (for Scopes 1, 2 and 3). As part of the OMV Strategy 2030, precise medium- and long-term emission reduction objectives have been developed.
Nina Marczell, OMV Vice President Aviation, Fuel Distribution and Public Sector, concludes, “I am very pleased that the cooperation between OMV and Wizz Air will help us achieve our strategic sustainability goals. With Wizz Air, we were able to gain a strong international partner. SAF is the most significant path to decarbonizing aviation in the coming decades. Our strategic relationship enables a more sustainable aviation future we want to be part of.”