Sustainable air freight: Kuehne+Nagel and Mercedes-Benz use sustainable aviation fuel in transport logistics

As a long-standing airfreight partner of Mercedes-Benz, Kuehne+Nagel has also been supporting Mercedes-Benz’s logistics chains to the USA since 2019, for example for the plant in Alabama. For over a year, sustainable fuels have been used in this strategic partnership in the area of transport logistics. Sustainable aviation fuel is used for the vehicle manufacturer’s air freight transport, thus, actively supporting Mercedes-Benz in the decarbonisation of their supply chain.

Thanks to the use of SAF, Mercedes-Benz has been able to reduce around 11,000 tonnes of CO2 emissions in the past twelve months, in comparison to only using conventional fuels. SAF was used on charter flights with Kuehne+Nagel’s own Boeing 747-8F cargo aircraft ‘Inspire’ on the route from Stuttgart (Germany) to Birmingham (Alabama, USA).

Mercedes-Benz and Kuehne+Nagel have set themselves the goal of avoiding and actively reducing emissions in transport logistics. "Transport logistics is a key part of the automotive value chain. By using sustainable aviation fuel for air freight transport, we can reduce emissions along our value chain and take an important step towards net carbon neutrality. We are delighted to reach another milestone in sustainable logistics together with our partner Kuehne+Nagel" says Jörg Burzer, Member of the Board of Management of Mercedes-Benz Group AG, Production, Quality and Supply Chain Management.

About Kuehne+Nagel

With over 80,000 employees at almost 1,300 sites in close to 100 countries, the Kuehne+Nagel Group is one of the world’s leading logistics providers. Headquartered in Switzerland, Kuehne+Nagel is listed in the Swiss blue-chip stock market index, the SMI. The Group is the global number one in air and sea logistics and has strong market positions in road and contract logistics.

Kuehne+Nagel is the logistics partner of choice for 400,000 customers worldwide. Using its global network, logistics expertise and data-based insights, the Group provides end-to-end supply chain solutions for global companies and industries. As a member of the Science Based Target Initiative (SBTi), Kuehne+Nagel is committed to sustainable logistics by reducing its own environmental footprint and by supporting its customers with low-carbon logistics solutions.