The International Air Transport Association (IATA) has warned that global Sustainable Aviation Fuel (SAF) production remains significantly below the level required to meet the aviation industry’s net-zero emissions target by 2050, with output expected to account for just 0.8 per cent of total aviation fuel consumption in 2026.
According to IATA estimates, global SAF production is projected to reach approximately 2.4 million tonnes this year, costing airlines about $4.3 billion. Despite years of commitments by governments and industry stakeholders to accelerate aviation decarbonisation, the association said progress remains disappointingly slow.
IATA Director General Willie Walsh said the industry’s pathway to achieving net-zero emissions by 2050 is becoming increasingly challenging as SAF production continues to lag behind demand.
“Five years after committing to achieve net zero by 2050, SAF production will only account for 0.8 per cent of airline fuel use this year. The path to meeting 65 per cent of our fuel needs through SAF by 2050 is becoming more difficult with each year of ineffective policy sequencing and a lack of commitment from oil producers,” Walsh said.
He argued that recent energy market disruptions and growing concerns over energy security should have accelerated investments in renewable fuels, but noted that governments have yet to introduce the incentives needed to create a commercially viable global SAF market.
To accelerate production, IATA is urging governments and industry stakeholders to expand renewable energy supplies, improve access to fuel infrastructure, strengthen investment incentives and establish a global SAF market supported by harmonised standards and a book-and-claim system that would allow airlines to purchase SAF regardless of where it is produced.
The association also raised concerns over the growing focus on electro-SAF (e-SAF), a synthetic aviation fuel produced using renewable electricity, green hydrogen, water and captured carbon dioxide. While e-SAF is expected to play an important role in aviation’s long-term decarbonisation strategy, IATA warned that current production levels remain far below the ambitious targets being pursued by European regulators.
The European Union and the United Kingdom have mandated e-SAF production of approximately 600,000 tonnes by 2030. However, current global production capacity, including projects under construction, stands at only about 20,000 tonnes, with just one operational production facility currently in service worldwide.
IATA Senior Vice President Sustainability and Chief Economist, Marie Owens Thomsen, described the 2030 targets as unrealistic, arguing that policymakers are imposing mandates before establishing the production capacity and renewable energy infrastructure required to support them.
She said the approach risks driving up costs for airlines while diverting resources away from practical emissions-reduction initiatives.
Despite concerns over SAF supply, IATA said public support for aviation decarbonisation remains strong. A global passenger survey conducted in April 2026 found that 89 per cent of travellers believe the aviation industry should continue reducing emissions regardless of government policy changes.
The survey also revealed growing consumer willingness to support sustainability initiatives. About 66 per cent of passengers said they would be willing to pay more to offset emissions, while nearly 88 per cent expect ticket prices to increase as airlines invest in cleaner technologies and fuels.
Passengers also expressed a clear preference for direct emissions-reduction measures, with SAF and new technologies ranking far ahead of environmental taxes as preferred tools for reducing aviation’s carbon footprint.
According to IATA, the findings demonstrate that travellers increasingly expect airlines to deliver meaningful decarbonisation while maintaining connectivity, reinforcing the urgent need for governments and industry to accelerate the development of a viable and affordable global SAF market.
