Airline executives call for global initiatives to promote green jet fuel
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At the Farnborough Airshow, airline executives cautioned that the UK’s initiative to promote green jet fuel must be adopted and expanded globally for the technology to fulfil its promise of significantly cleaner aviation.
Recently, Britain’s new Labour government announced plans to introduce a price guarantee for sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) to incentivize producers to open more plants to ramp up the fuel’s production.
Two decades after airlines committed to switching to biofuels, SAF still represents a mere 0.2% of the jet fuel market. To achieve Net-Zero carbon emissions by 2050, the aviation industry asserts that this figure must increase to 65%.
Julie Kitcher, Chief Sustainability Officer at Airbus, said that more solid investment plans and bolder financing from across the sector would help bring the industry to scale and boost supply.
She added that policy support, like the UK’s mechanism or Singapore’s SAF levy, can alleviate the cost burden on airlines if designed effectively.
During a panel discussion at the air show, Luis Gallego, chief executive of British Airways owner IAG, said, “If we don’t reduce the price of SAF, flying is going to be much more expensive.”
Some have cautioned that airlines might fail to meet the target of using 10% SAF to power their planes by 2030. At the air show, airlines and manufacturers highlighted the next generation of more energy-efficient aircraft to reduce emissions.
Read more: South Africa possesses significant potential in the production of sustainable aviation fuel
Earlier in July 2024, Shell announced it was pausing construction of an SAF facility in Rotterdam, which caused concern among green advocates.
Even with increased government support, new plants would still take years to build and produce sufficient SAF supplies. Airline executives acknowledged the UK’s initiative as a positive step but emphasized that legislators, not airlines, need to take further action.
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