
Geneva – Sustainable Aviation Fuel (SAF) production grew to 1 million tonnes in 2024, doubling the output of 2023 but falling short of earlier projections of 1.5 million tonnes, according to the International Air Transport Association (IATA). SAF accounted for only 0.3% of global jet fuel production, reflecting slower-than-expected growth due to delays in key US facilities and limited policy support.
IATA’s Director General Willie Walsh emphasized the urgency of accelerating SAF production:
“SAF volumes are increasing, but disappointingly slowly. Governments must replace fossil fuel subsidies with strategic incentives to support renewable energy, including SAF. Airlines are eager to buy SAF, and there is money to be made by those who invest for the long term.”
Pathways to Accelerate SAF Growth
To address the bottlenecks, IATA outlined three critical measures:
- Increase Co-Processing: Expanding the use of renewable feedstocks in existing refineries could save $347 billion in capital expenditures by 2050.
- Diversify Production Pathways: Scaling up non-HEFA methods like Alcohol-to-Jet (AtJ) and Fischer-Tropsch (FT) could significantly boost SAF volumes, leveraging agricultural and biological waste.
- Establish a Global SAF Accounting Framework: A transparent registry is essential to ensure airlines can claim the environmental benefits of SAF purchases and to prevent double counting.
“Governments must replace fossil fuel subsidies with strategic incentives to support renewable energy, including SAF.” – Willie Walsh, Director General, IATA
Public and Industry Support for SAF
Passenger support for SAF remains strong, with 86% of travelers agreeing that governments should incentivize production and prioritize its supply to airlines, according to an IATA survey.
Marie Owens Thomsen, IATA’s Senior Vice President for Sustainability, underscored the broader importance of SAF in the global energy transition:
“Solving the energy transition challenge for aviation benefits the wider economy, as renewable fuel refineries will also produce fuels for other industries. Airlines simply want their fair share of the output.”
The Road to Net Zero
Achieving net-zero CO2 emissions by 2050 will require 3,000 to 6,500 new renewable fuel plants, producing SAF and renewable diesel for multiple sectors. IATA estimates that $128 billion in annual capital expenditures will be needed—less than half the annual investment in solar and wind energy over the past two decades.
Walsh urged governments to act decisively:
“Governments must quickly deliver concrete policy incentives. There is already a model to follow with the transition to wind and solar power. SAF’s energy transition requires fewer resources and could redirect funds from fossil fuel subsidies to cleaner alternatives.”