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SWISS signs long-term offtake agreement for solar jet fuel from Synhelion

Published in: Solar, Press Releases

SWISS signs long-term offtake agreement for solar jet fuel from Synhelion image

Swiss International Air Lines (SWISS) and Swiss cleantech company Synhelion have signed a long-term offtake agreement for sustainable aviation fuel (SAF). From 2027, SWISS will purchase at least 200 tons of solar jet fuel from Synhelion annually, pioneering the use of this innovative fuel in civil aviation. The agreement marks an important milestone on the road to more sustainable aviation.

SWISS is the first airline to sign a binding five-year SAF offtake agreement with Synhelion. This marks a pioneering step toward defossilizing aviation. From 2027, Synhelion will produce renewable synthetic crude oil, known as “syncrude”, at its first commercial plant. The syncrude will be processed in an existing refinery together with fossil crude oil and refined into certified Jet-A-1 fuel. Thus, Synhelion directly replaces fossil crude oil with sustainable syncrude, without the need for any adjustments to the existing infrastructure. The fuel will be delivered to the airport via the regular logistics chain and fed into the fuel supply system. Synhelion’s synthetic jet fuel is based on renewable energy and sustainable feedstocks.

A strong signal for sustainable aviation

“The partnership with Synhelion is a significant step for SWISS on the path to decarbonizing our flight operations,” says Jens Fehlinger, CEO of SWISS. “Sustainable aviation fuels (SAF) are a core element of our sustainability strategy. The offtake agreement with Synhelion sends a strong signal for innovation and responsibility in aviation.”
With this offtake agreement, SWISS is actively supporting the scaling of Synhelion’s technology for the production of renewable synthetic fuels as a customer, investor, and strategic partner. This long-term planning certainty enables targeted expansion of production capacity and helps reduce costs over time.

Pioneering partnership

Synhelion also emphasizes the significance of the agreement: “The fact that SWISS, a leading airline, has committed early on to adopt our fuels demonstrates confidence in the market readiness of our technology,” says Philipp Furler, Co-CEO and Co-Founder of Synhelion. “This partnership is a milestone for the commercial market launch of our fuels – and sets a powerful example to other airlines worldwide.”

Expanding the partnership with Kuehne+Nagel

Part of the renewable jet fuel produced by Synhelion will be resold by SWISS to the logistics service provider Kuehne+Nagel. The company will use the sustainable fuel for air freight transportation with Swiss WorldCargo, offering its customers a tangible solution to reduce their carbon footprint in global logistics.

First delivery already completed

In July 2025, SWISS became the first airline in the world to use solar fuel from Synhelion in regular flight operations. Synhelion delivered its first barrel of syncrude from its DAWN plant to a refinery in northern Germany, where the syncrude was processed into certified jet fuel (Jet-A-1) and subsequently fed into the fuel supply system via Hamburg Airport.

About Synhelion

Synhelion produces renewable solar fuels to defossilize the transportation sector. The cleantech company has developed a scalable technology to produce synthetic fuels from solar energy. These solar fuels are nearly CO₂-neutral and fully compatible with today’s global fuel infrastructure and conventional engines. Since the launch of its industrial-scale plant DAWN in 2024, Synhelion has been producing solar jet fuel, diesel, and gasoline and delivering them to its customers. Backed by
international partners across various industry and transportation sectors, Synhelion is on a mission to replace fossil fuels with renewable solar fuels.

For more information, please visit www.synhelion.com.

About SWISS

Swiss International Air Lines (SWISS) is Switzerland’s leading air carrier. With one of Europe’s most advanced aircraft fleets, SWISS is a premium airline that provides direct flights from Zurich and Geneva to keep Switzerland connected with Europe and the world. Its Swiss WorldCargo division offers an extensive range of airport-to-airport airfreight services for high-value, time-critical and care-intensive
consignments. SWISS embodies Switzerland’s traditional values and is dedicated to delivering the highest product and service quality. The company has also set itself ambitious carbon reduction objectives, with a particular focus on promoting the use of sustainable aviation fuels. SWISS is part of the Lufthansa Group, and is also a member of Star Alliance, the world’s biggest airline network.

About Kuehne+Nagel

With close to 85’000 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.

Press Kit

Further information about Synhelion as well as image and video material are available in our press kit: https://synhelion.com/press-kit.

Contact for press inquiries

Synhelion Media Relations
Carmen Murer, Head Communication & Marketing
+41 79 619 52 11
carmen.murer@synhelion.com

SWISS Media Relations
+41 44 564 44 14
media@swiss.com

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