The European Union has set ambitious goals for sustainable aviation fuel (SAF), but without major investments to scale up production and reduce costs, these targets risk remaining aspirational. At the Destination Europe summit in Brussels on Thursday, EU policymakers voiced concerns over the slow progress in SAF production, which has the potential to cut aircraft carbon emissions by up to 80%, reports Skift.
The EU currently mandates airlines to use at least 2% SAF, to increase this to 70% by 2050. However, the gap between current supply and future demand remains significant.
“We won’t achieve it as soon as we hope to,” said European Parliament member Nikolina Brnjac, a former Croatian tourism minister.
Speaking during a panel discussion on the future of European tourism, she acknowledged the challenges ahead but stressed the importance of aviation for the region’s economy. “It won’t be easy, but we must support the tourism industry. Europe depends on strong aviation,” she added.
Olivier Jankovec, director general of Airports Council International (ACI) Europe, highlighted the stark contrast between existing SAF production and what is needed to meet net-zero targets. “Only one million tonnes of SAF were produced last year, yet we need 400 million tonnes annually to achieve net-zero goals,” he said.
Brnjac also pointed out that building SAF infrastructure in remote areas, including smaller airports, presents additional hurdles.
“We have a challenge with airports of all sizes. Some will be able to transition, but for smaller airports, it won’t be easy,” she said.
Sérgio Gonçalves, an EU parliament member from Madeira, echoed her concerns, emphasizing the logistical difficulties for island regions.
“Being on an island, we rely on airports and ports. Whether SAF is expensive or not, availability is a challenge. We need storage, transport solutions, and massive investments. It’s a big challenge,” he said.
Magda Kopczyńska, the EU’s director of transport, defended the policy, noting that SAF production is gradually increasing.
“Seven years ago, alternative fuels in aviation were barely discussed. Today, we have set requirements for airlines to progressively adopt SAF,” she said.
She acknowledged concerns about pricing and infrastructure but explained that the EU’s phased approach—starting with a 2% SAF requirement and gradually increasing it—was designed to allow time for production to scale up and prices to drop.
“As with any market, more competition and higher production will eventually bring down costs,” she added.
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