Maria Whittaker, Abra Group: The quest for SAF in Latin America

Date: 25 March 2026

In this episode of The SAF Podcast, host Oscar is joined by Maria Whittaker, Corporate Responsibility Officer at Abra Group — the airline group behind Avianca and GOL, serving nearly 70 million passengers across Latin America.

Maria unpacks the unique challenges and opportunities of scaling sustainable aviation fuel in a region where aviation provides essential connectivity, fuel costs represent up to 40% of operational expenses, and SAF production is still in its earliest stages.

We cover:

🌎 Why Latin America is at a different stage of SAF development than Europe or the US

📋 Brazil’s incoming SAF mandate (starting at 1% in 2027, rising to 10% by 2037) 

🤝 Abra’s groundbreaking Article 6 collaboration with Sumitomo Corporation to create a book-and-claim SAF export mechanism between Brazil and Japan

💰 The capital and off-take challenges facing SAF producers in the region 

✈️ How Avianca was ranked #1 globally for reducing emissions intensity while growing 

🔮 Maria’s vision for the Latin American SAF market by 2030

Whether you’re an investor, policymaker, airline professional or SAF producer, this episode offers a compelling window into one of the most dynamic and underexplored SAF markets in the world.

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