Air travel hit record highs in 2024 and the momentum isn’t slowing down. According to Airports Council International (ACI) global passenger traffic is expected to double over the next two decades. As millions board planes for the first time, flying is becoming less of a luxury and more of a shared global experience — and that’s a good thing.
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What needs to happen to fuel sustainable aviation?
The aviation industry is betting on sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) to cut carbon emissions.
Flying’s more popular than ever but more planes in the sky means more emissions. To curb them, the aviation industry is turning to sustainable aviation fuel, or SAF. It can be made from various renewable sources including used cooking oil, agricultural waste, and even captured carbon. SAF is a drop-in fuel, meaning it’s compatible with today’s aircraft engines and fueling systems without modification. It’s currently certified for blends of up to 50 percent with conventional jet fuel, though Airbus aims for all of its aircraft and helicopters to be capable of flying on 100 percent SAF by 2030. Depending on the feedstock and production pathway, the renewable portion can cut lifecycle carbon emissions by up to 80 percent compared to conventional jet fuel.
But cost remains the biggest hurdle. SAF accounts for less than 0.2 percent of global jet fuel use, and it can cost two to seven times more than conventional jet fuel. Still, the building blocks are there. Ethanol, one of the most promising SAF feedstocks, is already produced worldwide and companies like Airbus are investing heavily in scaling SAF production.
It’s a familiar pattern in the energy world. In the early 2000s, solar energy was promising but prohibitively expensive. Then came a tipping point. Policy opened up opportunities, investment surged, and costs fell. SAF could follow a similar trajectory but getting there is complex. Unlike solar which can scale within borders, aviation crosses them. “We cannot work at a regional level. We need to work at a global level,” said Julien Manhes, who leads SAF efforts at Airbus. Getting there, he notes, will take more than technology. It will require alignment across governments, airlines, fuel producers and investors all working toward a shared industry goal of reaching net-zero carbon emissions by 2050.
Watch the first installment of “The Flight Path” above to learn more. Follow along in this ongoing four-part series from Vox Media and Airbus exploring how aerospace innovations are shaping everyday life now and mapping what comes next.