The Middle East fuel crisis has accidentally made the case for SAF better than any policy ever did — and revealed exactly why the industry can't act on it.
Delta's language shift, from "goal" to "aspiration," may sound like semantics, but it signals a broader retreat from hard climate commitments at a moment when the airline industry's 2050 net-zero pledge is already under strain.
Sustainable aviation fuel was supposed to help airlines reduce their dependence on oil. The Iran war has exposed how far aviation is from that reality.
The race is on to push Heathrow’s expansion plans through regulation and planning. But the airport’s case for a third runway relies heavily on sustainable aviation fuel and aviation still faces major challenges scaling the technology needed to decarbonize.
Making green jet fuel from carbon dioxide and water is no longer theoretical. The only problem is how to scale it to service airlines and meet binding mandates.
The race is on to prove eSAF supply can catch up with Europe’s mandates. But with plants taking four years to build, policymakers may have to consider adjusting their targets.
The real test is whether this long-studied technology that converts waste into oil can clear certification and financing fast enough to make a dent before mandates start pushing airfares higher.