The International Air Transport Association (IATA) said the industry expects Sustainable Aviation Fuel (SAF) to play the largest role in decarbonizing aviation and the trade organisation is pushing for incentives to ramp up production of the fuel and lower costs.

IATA estimates that perhaps 65% of the mitigation needed for net zero emissions in 2050 will come from SAF.

It noted that while the industry purchased all one hundred million liters of SAF available in 2021, the supply remains limited and the price far higher than conventional jet fuel. 

Incentives for SAF production sought

"With LTAG (Long Term Aspirational Goal) in mind, state efforts should now be focused on ways to incentivize an increase in SAF production capacity and thereby reduce its cost," said Willie Walsh, IATA director-general, adding that the tremendous progress made in many economies on the transition of electricity production to green sources such as solar power and wind is a shining example of what can be achieved with the right government policies, particularly production incentives.

Related to this, IATA noted that the recent 41st Assembly of the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) called for several areas of support for SAF both from the ICAO Council and states.

In particular, the Assembly is seeking the ICAO Council to facilitate capacity building and technical assistance to states for SAF programs; work with stakeholders to define and promote the transition to SAF; and to facilitate access to financing for infrastructure development projects dedicated to SAF to develop the incentives needed to overcome initial market hurdles.

Meanwhile, the Assembly requests states to accelerate fuel certification and development of SAF including feedstock production; accelerate certification of new aircraft and engines to allow the use of 100% SAF; encourage and promote purchase agreements; support timely delivery of any necessary changes to airport and energy supply infrastructure; and to consider the use of incentives to support SAF deployment.

IATA noted that the Assembly also reinforced its commitment to the Carbon Offsetting and Reduction Scheme for International Aviation (CORSIA) and increased its ambition by agreeing to stabilize emissions of international aviation at 85% of the 2019 level.

In agreeing this, many governments emphasized CORSIA's role as the only economic measure applied to manage the carbon footprint of international aviation.