Modern Flying News Sustainability

Report: Sustainable Fuel Use Slumps as Global Air Travel Takes Off

In order for carriers to reach 2030 targets, carriers will need to boost consumption of SAF by over 30 times, Bloomberg reports.

Caleb Revill

Thursday, February 13, 2025 at 04:43 PM ET

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Edited By: tccjeremy

An aviation maintenance technician loads sustainable aviation fuel into a 2021 Boeing Demonstrator. [Courtesy: Boeing]

Key Takeaways:

Despite record-high air travel in 2024, airlines consumed unexpectedly low amounts of Sustainable Aviation Fuel (SAF), accounting for only 0.3% of global jet fuel.
The slow adoption is attributed to governments' mixed signals, continued fossil fuel subsidies, investors' reluctance, and a lack of clear policies supporting renewable energy.
To meet 2030 targets, SAF consumption needs to increase over 30 times, a challenge compounded by the continuous and projected growth in air travel.

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Airlines consumed less sustainable fuels than anticipated in 2024, even after a booming year for air travel.

A recent Bloomberg report cited data from the International Air Transportation Association (IATA) stating that air travel rose 10 percent in 2024, reaching an all-time high. Another IATA report said SAF accounted for 0.3 percent of global jet fuel production and 11 percent of global renewable fuel in 2024.

Caleb Revill

Caleb Revill is a journalist, writer and lifelong learner working as a Junior Writer for Firecrown. When he isn't tackling breaking news, Caleb is on the lookout for fascinating feature stories.