Metro Shipping is first UK customer for Air France KLM Cargo’s SAF programme

Freight forwarder Metro Shipping has become the first UK customer to join Air France KLM Martinair Cargo’s (AFKLMP Cargo) Sustainable Aviation Fuel (SAF) programme.

The signing ceremony took place at Metro Shipping’s head office in Birmingham. Officials from both companies attended, including Arturo Marte, cargo director for the UK and Ireland at AFKLMP Cargo, and Grant Liddell, managing director of Metro Shipping Ltd.

Marte said: “I’m pleased to welcome Metro Shipping as our first UK customer to join our Sustainable Aviation Programme. Metro Shipping has been very active in helping us raise awareness in our industry and more specifically in the UK.

“Creating a more sustainable air bridge for our customers is crucial and will require many initiatives from all of the players in the logistics chain.

“We’re very proud of the many initiatives being put into production to help curb the impact of fossil fuels in air freight logistics.

“Looking forward to 2023, we’ll continue to engage with our respective customers to gather the much-needed momentum here in the UK. Looking forward to partnering up with many more of our local UK customers to continue our mission on sustainability.”

Liddell added: “We are proud to be partnered with Air France KLM Martinair Cargo and take this collaborative approach directly with the airline.

“Although it is currently early in the switch to full SAF on cargo flights, this will gather pace over the coming years, and we are already promoting the benefit in greenhouse gas reductions to our customers that are using time-critical modes across the industry.”

In October, it was announced that customers using the AFKLMP Cargo booking portal would be able to adjust the level of SAF used for each shipment.

In the same month, Air France KLM Group said it would purchase 1.6m tons of SAF.