Things Are Looking Up for Sustainable Fuel, With a Few Caveats

Airbus Corporate Jets has released some of the findings of a study commissioned into the uptake of sustainable aviation fuel among US businesses with an annual revenue greater than $500 million. 

Overall, 58% of executives believe the use of SAF in the private aviation sector will “increase significantly over the next 5 years”, with an additional 32% saying they expect an increase in its use. Airbus found that attitudes regarding SAF do hinge on pricing, with executives noting that cost reductions have been vital to growing the industry, with 89% responding that they expect to see increased investment in technologies and feedstock processing to increase SAF production at scale while dropping price.

One key takeaway of the study is that greater support from governments and other stakeholders must be given through policy initiatives, with a long-term framework put into place to give investors greater confidence in the market's future. Half of the senior business execs interviewed reported that their companies expect a “dramatic improvement” in the area through 2025, with a further 35% saying they believe the situation will improve only “slightly”. 

Overall, Airbus Corporate Jets paints a picture of widespread SAF acceptance in the market - provided at the right price, of course. Their research showed that 86% of senior executives believe that sustainable fuel will help to grow the business aviation market while providing greater control over the environmental impact of flights. That point is an interesting focus to have - Could private aviation see a boom in guilt-free, emissionless travel with the right combination of sustainable feedstock? 

FMI: www.airbus.com