Airlines will need about 500 million tons of SAF per year by 2050 to achieve climate targets. According to the study:
Currently, the only commercial-scale SAF production facilities use HEFA technology, which converts materials such as used cooking oil into jet fuel.
“We now have unequivocal evidence that if SAF production is prioritized then feedstock availability is not a barrier in the industry’s path to decarbonization,” said Willie Walsh, Director General of IATA, shared. “However, this will only be accomplished with a major acceleration of the SAF industry’s growth. We need shovels in the ground now.”
Marie Owens Thomsen, Senior Vice President Sustainability and Chief Economist at IATA, emphasized the wider benefits:
“The report highlights the local and regional opportunities for SAF production to create jobs, stimulate economies and support energy security goals. Policy certainty and cross-sector collaboration are essential to unlock the scale we need.”
The report highlights the importance of North America, Brazil, Europe, India, China, and ASEAN in scaling up SAF production. These regions are expected to play leading roles in converting feedstock potential into actual supply.
SAF is central to IATA’s Net-Zero 2050 roadmap, expected to account for up to 65% of required emission reductions. Yet global production in 2025 is only a fraction of the demand that will be needed in the coming decades.
Walsh concluded:
“With this study it becomes clear that we can make SAF the solution it needs to be for aviation’s decarbonization. The conclusion of this study is an urgent call to action. We have just 25 years to turn this proven potential into reality.”
