Scorched by climate change, the aviation industry mobilizes for sustainable fuel
Author: Dominic Gates
Today, various startups produce only enough SAF to satisfy just 0.1% of the fuel needs for the world’s fleet of airplanes. Yet the industry is relying on increasing that to at least 10% by 2030 and to 70% by 2050 if it is to get near its target of net zero emissions by midcentury. Though Airbus is working on advanced technologies such as hydrogen-powered flight that may one day be part of the solution, right now the urgent action required is to begin large-scale industrial production of SAF. Boeing Vice President Brian Yutko, chief engineer for sustainability and future mobility, says the move toward more environmentally sustainable flight “is going to be the multidecade foundational challenge for the industry.” Airbus CEO Guillaume Faury grew agitated when the role of the manufacturers was questioned: “We are not just relaxing and saying it’s not my problem. It is my problem!” he insisted.
“If the consumption of SAF doesn’t go up, we’ll have a problem later. SAF is the only way to reduce carbon emissions now,” he said. “We need SAF now.”