Sustainable Aviation Fuel: the future of air travel is already here

The challenge of aviation decarbonisation

Decarbonisation is today’s greatest challenge. While many industries struggle to become more sustainable, aviation is one sector that, more than others, is taking active steps to reduce the environmental footprint of its products. 

Many manufacturing companies and airlines show that a conscious approach can actually solve serious issues despite difficulties, in this case, a high energy demand per flight. 

In this endeavour, technology comes to help. A new kind of propellant has emerged as one of the most viable pathways to achieve significant emissions reductions without compromising performance or safety​: Sustainable Aviation Fuel, often referred to as SAF, is a solution immediately available. 

What is Sustainable Aviation Fuel?

SAF is a liquid aviation fuel produced from wastes like used cooking oil, agricultural waste, algae, and captured CO2: all renewable, non-petroleum feedstocks. Besides not being fossil-based, these sources do not compete with food production, nor do they cause deforestation, making SAF a more sustainable and circular alternative to conventional jet fuel​.

Crucially, SAF is certified under international aviation standards and chemically similar to fossil-based Jet A-1. It can be blended (currently up to 50%) with conventional fuel and used in existing aircraft engines and airport infrastructure: a feature known as “drop-in compatibility”​.

Regarding environmental impact, SAF can reduce lifecycle greenhouse gas emissions by up to 80% compared to traditional jet fuel, depending on feedstock and production method​. It also lowers emissions of particulate matter and sulphur oxides, improving air quality in and around airports.

Adoption and current limitations

Despite being proven and safe, SAF represents less than 1% of global aviation fuel use due to high production costs and limited feedstock availability​. But industry experts, including the International Air Transport Association (IATA), project that SAF could provide up to 65% of the total emissions reductions required for aviation to achieve net-zero carbon emissions by 2050​.

Scaling SAF production will require support, investment, innovation, and globally harmonised policies. According to IATA and the Air Transport Action Group (ATAG), supportive measures like technology-neutral incentives are critical to unlocking SAF’s potential at scale​.

A leading example in regional aviation

Some of the world’s top manufacturers of regional aircraft are at the forefront of SAF deployment. For example, ATR aircraft consume 45% less fuel and emit 45% less CO2 than similarly sized regional jets, thanks to their turboprop design, making them ideal for maximising SAF benefits per litre of fuel​.

Leader in this experimentation, the same company in June 2022 conducted the first-ever flight powered by 100% SAF in both engines of a commercial regional aircraft (ATR 72-600), in partnership with Braathens Regional Airlines and Neste​. 

Since August 2023, ATR has also powered all production test flights with a 30% SAF blend, saving nearly four tonnes of CO2 per flight and it doesn’t stop here: the company plans to extend SAF usage to prototype flights and aims to have its entire fleet certified for 100% SAF use by 2030, in line with ASTM fuel standard developments​.

Strategic collaborations and scalable impact

Beyond testing, ATR has partnered with Nordic Aviation Capital (NAC) and TotalEnergies to deliver aircraft powered by the equivalent of 30% SAF, demonstrating real-world feasibility and promoting low-emission fleet expansion​.

These efforts build on ATR’s broader vision of sustainable aviation. Their efficient turboprops, paired with SAF, offer unmatched emissions reductions for regional flights, where battery-powered solutions are not yet feasible​.

A path forward for the industry

This experience proved that Sustainable Aviation Fuel is not a future concept, but it is a present solution ready to transform air travel by integrating decarbonisation and sustainability. With a closed-loop carbon cycle, use of renewable sources, and lower emissions that would make the net-zero objective of 2050 achievable, this extraordinary propellant certainly stands as a deeply valid alternative to traditional, polluting fuel; thus, revolutionising the aviation sector.

Especially while long-term technologies like hydrogen and electric propulsion develop further, SAF offers a practical and scalable bridge to reduce aviation’s climate impact today.

With increasing investment, aligned policy frameworks, and industry-wide commitment, SAF can become a cornerstone of net-zero flights. Luckily, manufacturers like ATR are proving that the transition is not only possible, but it is already underway.

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