Is Sustainable Jet Fuel A Possibility?

In the wake of VS100’s successful transatlantic flight, those involved in the project at Virgin Atlantic were keen to mark the event as the dawning of a new era of sustainable aviation and a victory in the fight against climate change. The sentiment was echoed by the British government, which claimed the achievement represents a step toward “guilt-free” flying (per The Guardian).

But not everyone is convinced that SAF represents the breakthrough that some of its stakeholders suggest. Critics claim that there is no existing technology to scale its production and distribution to the levels needed to hit net zero carbon emission targets within the timeframe required. Experts say that biofuels should instead be diverted into other sectors, and that the answer to lowering the carbon footprint of the aviation industry is to simply reduce flying. France is now upping taxes on aviation and intends to use the funds to improve greener transport options, such as rail.

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Nevertheless, the IATA says SAF remains central to the aviation industry’s carbon-cutting efforts and is useable in the current generation of commercial airliners. In 2022, Simple Flying reported that United Airlines had ordered 50 million gallons of SAF to fuel flights from Amsterdam.