The European airline industry is facing a critical shortage of sustainable aviation fuel, which is hampering its efforts to decarbonize. This challenge was at the forefront of discussions between industry leaders and policymakers at a recent dinner in the European Parliament.
The high-profile event, hosted by Eliza Vozenmberg, the chair of the Transport & Tourism Committee, brought together key voices to chart a course for strengthening Europe’s position in the global aviation landscape.
Decarbonising the aviation sector remains one of the key challenges for Europe’s ambition to reach net zero emissions by 2050. But while long-term solutions such as hydrogen fuel hold promise, they remain years away from becoming viable at scale.
Sustainable Aviation Fuels, or SAFs, offer an immediate solution. The alternative fuels – produced from renewable or waste-derived stocks such as biomass or waste oils – can work with existing engine systems alongside conventional fuel.
As part of its Fit for 55 package, the European Union has set a series of SAF targets: by 2025, 2% of fuel used in flights departing from EU airports must be SAF, increasing to 5% by 2030.
The demand for SAF will be up to 450 billion litres by 2050. The estimation of how much SAF we will produce in 2025 is 8bn litres. So this is a huge challenge for all of us
Speaking at the event, Michael Harrington – the director-general of airline association AIRE – described SAF as the most effective short-term measure to reduce carbon emissions. But he warned that the EU’s current regulatory framework is severely restricting SAF production. “The reality is that there is a critical shortage of SAF due to the lack of available feedstock that meets the EU Renewable Energy Directive requirements.”
A key bottleneck, he pointed out, lies in the EU’s definition of what constitutes SAF. This definition is much more restrictive than that of the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO), particularly in its exclusion of feed crops and food from the allowable SAF feedstocks. Harrington argued that this creates unnecessary obstacles for the industry. He called for a temporary revision of the EU’s definition, stressing the urgency of the climate crisis, “given the climatic emergencies that we are all facing today”. “We need to have a quick temporary revision of how we define SAF. It’s as simple as that.”
Increasing the scope of feedstocks in SAF (to that of ICAO) would give European producers an increased opportunity to produce more, thus helping further the environment, Harrington said.
He proposed a solution: allowing vegetable oils to be used as feedstock for SAF. He pointed out that neighbouring regions are already using this approach and argued that diverting just 2-3 million tonnes of the EU’s annual 16 million tonnes of vegetable oil production could have a transformative impact. “If we could take something like 3 million tonnes, this would physically cut fossil fuel emissions by 10 million tonnes,” he remarked, highlighting the tangible benefits this could bring to the environment.
Robert Ludera, VP Network & Alliances at LOT Polish Airlines, echoed Harrington’s sentiments, stressing that SAF is the aviation industry’s most immediate solution to decarbonization. “SAF represents a crucial pathway to decarbonization, offering an immediate solution for lowering emissions,” he said.
However, like Harrington, Ludera acknowledged the challenges ahead. One of the biggest hurdles is scaling up SAF production to meet the growing demand. “The demand for SAF will be up to 450 billion litres by 2050. The estimation of how much SAF we will produce next year, in 2025, is 8bn litres. So this is a huge challenge for all of us,” Ludera noted, emphasizing the vast gap between demand and supply. He called for greater collaboration between governments, industry, and research institutions to accelerate SAF production.
Beyond sustainability, Ludera also emphasised the need to ensure the competitiveness of the European aviation sector. Rising costs, particularly for navigation and air traffic control services, are threatening the sector’s economic stability. “This August alone, delays in European airspace due to lack of operational capacity in air traffic control services caused 5.3 million minutes of delay,” Ludera pointed out.
“That cannot be a sustainable aviation industry. We hope that any potential increase in costs related to aviation services will be accompanied by a significant improvement in efficiency.”
To maintain a sustainable and competitive aviation industry, Ludera advocated for cost-effective, stable regulations that support the sector’s continued growth while mitigating environmental impacts.
“Aviation is not just an industry, it’s a lifeline for Europe,” he said, noting that the sector supports over 13 million jobs directly or indirectly, and contributes to almost €1 trillion to European GDP annually. “In 2023, there were 976 million air passengers carried in the European Union,” he added. “These passengers have fuelled tourism and hospitality sectors. They enabled cultural exchange. They support the promotion of regional development. Aviation connects even the most remote areas in Europe and worldwide. Aviation provides the global reach and links Europe to the rest of the world.
“Therefore, we need to have in mind both sustainability, as well as the competitiveness of our aviation industry, because a strong and competitive aviation sector is essential for Europe’s economic prosperity and global connectivity.”
Özlem Salihoğlu, SVP of International Relations & Alliances at Turkish Airlines and AIRE Vice President, highlighted that despite being the lifeline of aviation industry, Europe’s air traffic management system is currently stretched to its limits.
Stressing the significance of reforming the European air space, Salihoğlu stated that current conditions lead to increased delays and inconvenience for passengers, and stressed that investment in improved infrastructure and optimizing airspace management would not only reduce delays, but also mitigate the environmental impact.
Passenger Rights: Time for an Overhaul
The need to update passenger rights was another central theme of the evening. Harrington addressed the topic head-on, describing how the current passenger rights legislation, dating back to 2004, is no longer fit for purpose. “Passenger rights are suffering from the fact that we’re still using legislation from 2004,” he said, adding that legislation must reflect the evolving realities of modern air travel.
He welcomed the European Commission’s recent proposals, which were tabled in November 2023, as a much-needed modernization of the regulatory framework. “We want to see better passenger rights and a huge cut in the administrative burden that is on airlines,” he said. “And above all, we want to see an unclogging of the legal system and the courts, which are totally collapsed with claims that need to be clarified. So we need very much to complete the process that for years and years we have we’ve been struggling to get through.”
Özlem Salihoğlu, SVP of International Relations & Alliances at Turkish Airlines and AIRE Vice President, highlighted the disproportionate financial burden that airlines face under the current compensation schemes, especially in situations beyond their control, such as weather disruptions or air traffic control (ATC) strikes. “It is essential to differentiate between airline-induced disruptions and those that are external,” Salihoğlu argued.
She called for a more balanced approach that takes into account the responsibility of all stakeholders in the travel ecosystem, including airports and ATC. “All related stakeholders, such as airports, ATCs, and legislators, need to take more responsibility for providing seamless journeys for our passengers,” Salihoğlu stressed. She urged policymakers to ensure that the revised legislation reflects the realities of today’s aviation industry and provides fair and balanced protection for both passengers and airlines.
In closing, she emphasized that AIRE welcomes ongoing dialogue with the European Parliament and all stakeholders to shape policies that will safeguard the future of aviation in Europe in meeting the needs of the public, the environment, and the economy.
Founded in 1971, AIRE (https://aire.aero/) is the oldest association of airlines and aviation stakeholders in Brussels. For over five decades AIRE has steadfastly served as a vital hub for collaboration and advocacy within the aviation industry.