2.4 million tons of global production this year, representing only 0.8%
Written by: Ali Abdul Khaleq
The President of the International Air Transport Association (IATA), Willie Walsh, revealed that global production of sustainable aviation fuel (SAFIt is expected to reach about 2.4 million tons during the year 2026, which represents only about 0.8% of the total global aviation fuel consumption, at an estimated cost to airlines of about $4.3 billion.
Walsh told Gulf News that the pace of growth in sustainable fuel production is still disappointing, noting that five years after the aviation sector committed to achieving carbon neutrality by 2050, sustainable fuel still constitutes less than 1% of the total fuel consumption in the sector.
He added that reaching the goal of meeting 65% of the sector’s needs through sustainable fuels by 2050 has become more difficult as a result of inconsistent government policies and the weak interest of oil companies in investing in this field, stressing that the current energy crisis calls for accelerating the development of renewable energy sources, most notably sustainable aviation fuel.
IATA called for taking coordinated measures to expand sustainable fuel production through four main axes, including: increasing renewable energy supplies to ensure the availability of raw materials and clean energy needed for production. Ensure open access to fuel infrastructure, including pipelines, storage facilities and airport supply systems. Enhancing government support through production incentives and investment frameworks that provide certainty to investors before imposing any regulatory obligations. Developing a global market for sustainable aviation fuel based on “reservation and claim” mechanisms (Book!and!Claim) allowing for global trading of fuel and achieving fair competition between producers and airlines.
The Union pointed out that aviation electronic fuel (e–SAF), produced by converting renewable electricity into liquid fuel using “energy to liquids” technology (PtLIt will be an important part of efforts to decarbonize the aviation sector in the future.
Although the European Union and the United Kingdom have set a target of producing around 0.6 million tons of e-fuel by 2030, current global production capacity, both operational and under construction, is only 0.02 million tons, with only one commercial production facility currently in operation.
For her part, Mary Owens Thomsen, Senior Vice President – Sustainability at IATA, confirmed that the European and British goals for electronic fuels by 2030 are “completely unrealistic,” considering that imposing regulatory obligations before providing the necessary production capabilities will lead to higher prices and a waste of resources without achieving actual reductions in emissions.
In a related context, the results of the latest survey conducted by IATA for travelers during April 2026 showed widespread support for efforts to remove carbon from the aviation sector.
The survey showed that 89% of travelers believe that the sector should continue to reduce emissions even if governments retreat from their environmental commitments, while a similar number believe that air travel is a basic necessity that should be made more sustainable rather than limited.
About 66% of participants expressed their willingness to pay additional amounts to offset carbon emissions, while 88% of them expect ticket prices to rise as a result of investments related to sustainability.
The results showed that travelers prefer direct solutions to reduce emissions, as 25% of them considered that directing investments towards sustainable aviation fuel is the best option, while 23% preferred investing in new technologies to reduce emissions, compared to only 10% who supported the imposition of taxes as a tool to address the issue.
