IATA wants one billion passengers to fly on biofuels by 2025

February 28, 2018 |

In Switzerland, the International Air transport Association (IATA) set out an aim for one billion passengers to fly on flights powered by a mix of jet fuel and sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) by 2025. This aspiration was identified on the tenth anniversary of the first flight to blend sustainable aviation fuel and ordinary jet fuel.

The push to increase uptake of SAF is being driven by the airline industry’s commitment to achieve carbon-neutral growth from 2020 and to cut net carbon emissions by 50% compared to 2005. A number of airlines, including Cathay Pacific, FedEx Express, JetBlue, Lufthansa, Qantas, and United, have made significant investments by forward-purchasing 1.5 billion gallons of SAF. Airports in Oslo, Stockholm, Brisbane and Los Angeles are already mixing SAF with the general fuel supply.

On the present uptake trajectory, it is anticipated that half a billion passengers will have flown on a SAF-blend powered flight by 2025. But if governments, through effective policy, help the sustainable fuel industry to scale-up its production, it is possible that one billion passengers could experience a SAF flight by 2025. The steps needed to deliver this include:

Allowing SAF to compete with automotive biofuels through equivalent or magnified incentives

Loan guarantees and capital grants for production facilities

Supporting SAF demonstration plants and supply chain research and development

Harmonized transport and energy policies, coordinated with the involvement of agriculture and military departments.

Category: Policy

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