New Delhi, June 7: The production of Sustainable Aviation Fuel (SAF) is projected to reach 2.4 million tons in 2026, with its share in total aviation fuel consumption expected to be just 0.8 percent. This information was released by the International Air Transport Association (IATA).
This indicates that carbon emissions remain a significant challenge for airlines in the aviation sector.
The industry body stated that airlines are expected to spend approximately $4.3 billion on SAF this year, while production levels are still far below what is needed to meet long-term climate goals.
Willie Walsh, IATA’s Senior Vice President for Sustainability and Chief Economist, noted that despite the aviation industry’s commitment to achieving net-zero carbon emissions by 2050, the pace of SAF development remains disappointing five years later.
He highlighted that the share of SAF in airline fuel use is expected to be less than 1 percent in 2026, making it increasingly difficult to meet nearly 65 percent of future fuel needs through SAF.
Walsh attributed the slow progress to ineffective government policies and a lack of interest from oil companies in increasing production capacity.
He further stated that recent disruptions in the energy market should have accelerated investments in renewable fuels, but the necessary incentives to create a viable SAF market have not materialized.
The industry body urged governments and stakeholders to expand renewable energy supply, ensure open access to fuel infrastructure, strengthen production incentives and investment frameworks, and support the development of a global SAF market with sufficient volume and commercially viable pricing.
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