SYDNEY - Association of Asia Pacific Airlines (AAPA) members have joined the growing list of global carriers committed to net zero carbon emissions by 2050, the group's head said on Monday.

AAPA members are full-service airlines based in South East Asia, Japan, South Korea, Taiwan and Hong Kong.

"It is a challenging goal, but we are committed to this," AAPA Director General Subhas Menon told reporters.

He said the target could be met through fuel efficiency improvements, operations and infrastructure initiatives, carbon offsets and promoting sustainable aviation fuels.

Some AAPA members including Singapore Airlines Ltd , Cathay Pacific Airways Ltd , Japan Airlines Co Ltd and ANA Holdings Inc had already announced plans for net zero emissions by 2050.

(Reporting by Jamie Freed, Editing by Louise Heavens and Emelia Sithole-Matarise) ((Jamie.Freed@thomsonreuters.com;))