Back to Transportation

Audit-Ready Carbon Reporting for Air Freight and Logistics

Track jet fuel by flight sector, calculate cargo ton-kilometer intensity, monitor fleet efficiency, and report sustainable aviation fuel adoption.

The Industry Hotspot: Jet Fuel Consumption and Cargo Load Factors

Jet fuel dominates air freight footprint

Air freight emissions concentrate in jet fuel combustion during flight operations. Cargo aircraft consume fuel based on weight carried, flight distance, and altitude profile. Dedicated freighters optimize for cargo volume and weight capacity. Load factors determine efficiency—fuller aircraft spread fuel consumption across more ton-kilometers. Empty return legs reduce overall efficiency. Ground operations including trucking for pickup and delivery add surface transport emissions. Sustainable aviation fuel reduces lifecycle emissions versus conventional jet fuel. Express services operate hub-and-spoke networks with tight schedules. NetNada tracks fuel consumption by flight sector and aircraft type, calculates ton-kilometer intensity, monitors load factors, and reports SAF adoption rates.

SASB Industry Definition

The Air Freight & Logistics industry operates cargo aircraft for time-sensitive shipments and coordinates multimodal logistics networks. Operations include air cargo carriers, express delivery services, and third-party logistics providers. Emissions concentrate in jet fuel combustion for direct air operations plus ground transport for collection and delivery. Carbon intensity measured in grams CO2 per ton-kilometer varies by aircraft type, load factors, and route distance.

View SASB Standard →

Industry-Specific Carbon Accounting

No generic solutions. Metrics, data sources, and reporting aligned to Air Freight & Logistics operations.

Flight Sector Fuel Tracking

Cargo aircraft fuel consumption varies by route distance, aircraft type, and payload weight. Short-haul flights consume more fuel per kilometer than long-haul due to takeoff and climb energy. Track fuel consumption by flight sector and aircraft model. Calculate fuel per ton-kilometer by route. Report fleet fuel efficiency trends and benchmark by aircraft generation.

Fuel per ton-kilometer by route

Cargo Load Factor Optimization

Load factors measure utilized capacity versus available capacity. Higher load factors improve carbon intensity by spreading fuel across more cargo. Empty return flights reduce network efficiency. Monitor load factors by route and service type. Track directional imbalances affecting return flights. Calculate effective ton-kilometers accounting for positioning flights.

Load factors by route tracked

Sustainable Aviation Fuel Procurement

SAF reduces lifecycle emissions versus conventional jet fuel. Blend rates typically limited pending supply availability and certification. Sourcing from waste oils, agricultural residues, or synthetic pathways determines sustainability credentials. Track SAF procurement volumes and blend rates. Monitor lifecycle emission reductions from fuel mix. Report SAF sourcing and certification standards compliance.

SAF blend rates tracked

Ground Transport Network Emissions

Collection and delivery trucking adds surface transport emissions to air freight footprint. Express services operate time-definite ground networks feeding airport hubs. Track ground fleet fuel consumption and mileage. Calculate truck emissions per shipment. Monitor electric vehicle deployment for local delivery routes.

Ground transport per shipment

Shipment Carbon Footprint Allocation

Customers require shipment-level emissions for their Scope 3 reporting. Allocation assigns flight and ground emissions based on weight and distance. Calculate emissions per shipment using weight, distance, and service type. Provide customers with tracking integration. Report allocation methodology and emission factors used.

Shipment emissions calculated

SASB TR-AF Metrics Automation

Auto-generate disclosure including gross Scope 1 emissions, fuel consumption by type, fleet fuel efficiency, SAF percentage, ton-kilometers transported, and load factors. Footnotes cite fleet composition and route network.

SASB TR-AF compliant

Product Features for Air Freight & Logistics

Use Carbon Data Uploader to import flight fuel records, cargo manifests, ground fleet mileage, and SAF procurement for air freight emissions tracking. Learn more →

The Activity Calculator applies factors for jet fuel, truck diesel, and sustainable aviation fuel—calculating air freight carbon footprints by shipment. Learn more →

Air Freight & Logistics Case Studies

How entities in this industry use NetNada to solve carbon accounting challenges.

Express Air Cargo Carrier (Dedicated freighter fleet, Global hub network, Time-definite services)

Challenge

Corporate customers required shipment-level carbon footprints for logistics Scope 3 reporting. Jet fuel consumption needed tracking by flight sector and aircraft type. Load factor variations affected carbon intensity calculations. Ground collection and delivery added transport emissions complexity.

Solution

Implemented comprehensive air freight carbon accounting tracking fuel by flight sector. Calculated ton-kilometer intensity by route and aircraft model. Monitored cargo load factors affecting efficiency. Tracked ground fleet fuel consumption for pickup and delivery. Generated shipment-level emissions using weight and distance allocation.

Result

Established cargo carbon intensity baseline showing route and load factor impacts. Identified efficiency opportunities through load factor improvement and route optimization. Provided customers with automated shipment carbon footprints supporting their sustainability reporting. Demonstrated emission reductions from fleet modernization to more efficient aircraft.

SASB Disclosure Topics for Air Freight & Logistics

Material sustainability topics beyond emissions that investors and stakeholders expect disclosed per SASB standards.

Greenhouse Gas Emissions

environment

Track Scope 1 from jet fuel combustion and ground vehicle fleets. Report Scope 2 from facilities and warehouses. Calculate Scope 3 from purchased air transport and contracted trucking. Report emissions per ton-kilometer or per shipment.

Fuel Efficiency and Fleet Operations

environment

Monitor jet fuel consumption by aircraft type and route. Track cargo load factors and ton-kilometers. Report fuel efficiency trends and fleet modernization programs.

Sustainable Aviation Fuel Adoption

environment

Track SAF procurement and blend rates. Monitor lifecycle emission reductions from alternative fuels. Report SAF sourcing and sustainability certification.

Multimodal Transport Emissions

environment

Calculate ground transport for collection and delivery. Track truck fuel consumption and electric vehicle deployment. Report modal split of transport emissions.

Customer Carbon Reporting

business model

Provide shipment-level carbon footprints to customers. Report methodology for emission allocation. Disclose carbon footprint tools and APIs for customer integration.

Operational Safety and Compliance

social

Report CORSIA compliance and carbon offset procurement. Track safety incident rates for air and ground operations. Disclose hazardous materials handling protocols.

NetNada tracks all SASB material topics, not just emissions. Our platform supports disclosure across environmental, social, governance, and business model topics relevant to your industry.

Air Freight & Logistics FAQs

Common questions about carbon accounting for this industry

How do air freight companies calculate carbon footprint per shipment?
Shipment emissions combine air transport and ground collection/delivery. Track flight fuel consumption by sector. Allocate to shipments based on weight and distance using emission factors. Add ground truck fuel for pickup and delivery legs. Provide customers with shipment-specific footprints for their Scope 3 reporting.
Why do load factors affect air cargo carbon intensity?
Aircraft fuel consumption depends primarily on total weight and distance. Higher load factors mean more cargo shares the fuel used. Empty return flights or low utilization increase emissions per ton-kilometer. Directional imbalances where cargo flows primarily one direction reduce network efficiency. Report load factors alongside intensity metrics for context.

Track Air Freight Fuel, Load Factors, and Shipment Carbon Footprints

See how cargo carriers monitor jet fuel efficiency, calculate ton-kilometer intensity, and generate SASB-aligned disclosures—automated from flight and operations data.