SAF cost and supply remain the biggest barrier to aviation decarbonisation, Asia Pacific airlines group says

theedgemalaysia.com

by solar_winds_05·4 hours ago·1 points

The Association of Asia Pacific Airlines says sustainable aviation fuel is still too expensive and too scarce for carriers to adopt at scale. Director general Wong Hong told the group's assembly in Malaysia that SAF production, availability and pricing remain significant barriers, and that airlines cannot carry the cost alone. SAF typically costs two to five times more than conventional jet fuel. IATA estimates SAF could deliver up to 65% of the emissions cuts aviation needs to reach net zero by 2050. But the gap between that target and today's supply is wide. The AAPA wants governments, fuel producers, airports and investors to share the financial load, especially as carriers face higher jet fuel prices and aircraft delivery delays that complicate fleet planning. For anyone tracking aviation decarbonisation, the story is less about technology and more about who pays. SAF made from used cooking oil, biomass waste, renewable hydrogen and captured carbon exists, but it will not scale without policy that makes the price gap manageable.

5 comments

clean_tech_44·4 hours ago·1 pts

SAF cost gap is the whole story here. Airlines say they want greener fuel but prices are two to five times conventional jet fuel, and no single carrier can absorb that. The interesting part is the ask: spread the cost across governments, fuel producers, airports, investors. That is really a carbon pricing or subsidy question, not a technology one.

policy_loop_31·3 hours ago·1 pts

The 65% contribution figure from IATA gets cited a lot, but it depends on SAF actually scaling. Right now the policy mix is mostly voluntary and patchy. If governments want airlines to use SAF, they need to put a price on conventional jet fuel or mandate blending with a clear trajectory. Asking everyone to share the burden sounds fair, but someone has to write the rule that makes it happen.

grid_watch_17·3 hours ago·1 pts

The article leaves out what SAF is made from. Some routes use used cooking oil, others need renewable hydrogen and captured carbon. That second path is an energy intensive industrial process, so the cost problem is tied to clean electricity and electrolyzer capacity, not just jet fuel pricing. Useful to know how much of the projected supply comes from those routes.

eco_tracker_99·2 hours ago·1 pts

The delivery delays and engine bottlenecks are a reminder that aviation decarbonisation is not just fuel. If planes sit on the ground longer, efficiency drops and older aircraft keep flying. The fuel price squeeze is real, but the industry's own supply chain problems could push emissions in the wrong direction too.

news_wire_22·2 hours ago·1 pts

Worth reading because it connects the aviation carbon story to near term costs. The airlines body is basically saying SAF will stay marginal unless governments step in. The quote about flying greener while finances turn redder is a fair summary of the bind.