IATA welcomes conference’s policies on SAF usage

The International Air Transport Association (IATA) hopes governments will deliver the supportive policies needed to enable aviation’s decarbonisation as agreed at the Third Conference on Aviation Alternative Fuels (CAAF/3) hosted by The International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) in Dubai.
CAAF/3 delivered critical agreement on a global framework to promote sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) production in all geographies around the world. The aim is that aviation fuel in 2030 is 5% less carbon intensive than fossil fuel used today by the industry.
“Governments have understood the critical role of SAF to achieve net zero emissions for aviation by 2050.
“The CAAF/3 results add a vision on the shorter, 2030, time horizon that is ambitious. To that end, the CAAF/3 agreement signals to the world in no uncertain terms the need for policies that enable real progress.
“There is no time to lose. IATA now expects governments to urgently put the strongest possible policies in place to unlock the full potential of a global SAF market with an exponential increase in production,” said Willie Walsh, IATA’s director general.
This is necessary because airlines’ demand for SAF, in line with their commitment to net-zero carbon emissions by 2050, vastly exceeds the availability of SAF today, which is limited to 0.2% of airlines’ jet fuel consumption in 2023.
“We need to see governments acting on the CAAF/3 declaration with policies that expand SAF production in all its shapes and forms. Despite unequivocal demand signals, the SAF production market is not developing fast enough.
“We need SAF everywhere in the world, and to that end, the right supportive policies – policies that can stimulate production, promote competition, foster innovation, and attract financing - must be put in place today,” said Walsh.
“The goal is maximising SAF production everywhere with positive, not punitive, policy measures. Airlines are ready with open arms to catch the resulting SAF production.
“While airlines are at the sharp end of decarbonization, they cannot bear the burden alone. CAAF/3 has again made it clear that aviation’s decarbonisation will require the wholehearted and united efforts of the entire value chain and governments as we all focus on net-zero by 2050.
“To be perfectly clear, where government money leads, private money will follow. It is absolutely essential that governments play their part, and we will certainly play ours,” said Marie Owens Thomsen, IATA’s senior vice-president sustainability and chief economist.