IATA: aviation risks becoming the “forgotten cousin” when it comes to SAF

There is growing frustration at IATA about the slow commitment from the oil industry to sustainable aviation fuels (SAF). While the quantities to be produced in the next few years seem to satisfy demand, the lack of financial commitment to expanding the production capacity is a concern. Hopefully, the general framework at the recent ICAO conference convinced investors to invest in SAF, but the energy industry needs to ramp up.

That was the message of the International Air Transport Association (IATA) at Wednesday’s Global Media Day

in Geneva, which was attended by AirInsight. Especially Marie Owens Roberts, Senior Vice President of Sustainability and Chief Economist, shared her frustrations with the media in what could be seen as an attempt to pressure the industry. But Owens Thomsen also threaded her words carefully, as IATA is fully aware that the airline industry isn’t getting nowhere on SAF if it distances itself from the oil industry.

What’s the situation now?

But where does SAF production stands now? With only a few weeks to go until 2023 is over, IATA estimated that between 0.45 and 0.5 million tons (Mt) or 625 million liters of SAF will have been produced this year. That’s 240.000 tonnes more than in 2022, so a doubling of production. That sounds great, but this could have been more without the lower output from several refineries. The 0.5 Mt of SAF also is just 0.2 percent of the 286 Mt of jet fuel used by the airline industry this year. Again, it is a doubling, but a very small one. Only three percent of all refinery output is for SAF.