A DHL Express SAF supply agreement with TotalEnergies has been signed at Paris Charles de Gaulle (CDG) on a one-year renewable basis, marking the first time any express cargo carrier has used sustainable aviation fuel at the airport, according to Air Cargo Week and Air Cargo News.
The first DHL aircraft to depart CDG on SAF-blended fuel did so on 9 November 2026, both outlets report. The deal covers 5 million litres of SAF over twelve months and is renewable at the end of that term.
The First of Its Kind at CDG
The agreement is notable on two counts. It is the first SAF deal struck for an express cargo operator at Paris CDG, and, as Air Cargo News reports, it is also the first time DHL Express has used SAF anywhere in France. For a carrier whose scale we examined recently in our look at how express carriers now move half of all international air cargo, the France milestone matters.
Philippe Prétat, CEO of DHL Express France, said: "By becoming the first express operator to use SAF at Paris CDG Airport, we are demonstrating that world-class international logistics performance and a reduced carbon footprint can go hand in hand."
What the Deal Covers
Air Cargo News reports that DHL's CDG hub sits in the airport's cargo zone and operates around the clock. The hub opened in 2021 following an investment of €170 million, Air Cargo News adds.
SAF-powered departures will serve four DHL hubs: Leipzig, Casablanca, Milan and London, according to Air Cargo Week and Air Cargo News. The environmental benefit is estimated at approximately 11,800 metric tons of CO2e avoided per year for DHL's French operation, both outlets report.
DHL Express SAF and the Wider Sustainability Position
Travis Cobb, EVP Global Network Operations and Aviation at DHL Express, said: "In 2025, SAF already accounted for 10% of the aviation fuel used across DHL's own aircraft fleet, positioning our Group as a leader in both logistics and aviation sustainability."
That 10% figure, cited by Air Cargo Week and Air Cargo News, gives context to the CDG agreement: France now joins a network of SAF-supplied stations that DHL has been building across its own fleet. The Paris deal adds meaningful volume to that effort.
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TotalEnergies' Role
TotalEnergies is the fuel supplier under the agreement, providing the 5 million litres of SAF that will be uplifted at CDG over the year. As Air Cargo Week reports, Mathieu Soulas holds the title of Director of New Mobilities at TotalEnergies, the executive named on the company's side of the deal.
The Bottom Line
This agreement is a small but concrete step in what remains a gradual shift across the cargo sector. The volumes involved, 5 million litres over a year, are modest against total aviation fuel consumption, but the milestone of a first-ever express cargo SAF deal at one of Europe's largest hub airports carries real symbolic weight. The one-year renewable structure also means both parties will have an early opportunity to extend and potentially expand the arrangement. Whether the routes served grow beyond Leipzig, Casablanca, Milan and London in a subsequent term is worth watching.
This article draws on reporting by Air Cargo Week and Air Cargo News.
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