About SAF Investor
The widespread adoption of sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) is no longer an engineering challenge.
It is an economic one.
New technologies now need to prove they scale and the industry needs billions of dollars of capital to have any hope of reaching 2050 targets. Our mission is to help this happen.
Aviation is one of the hardest sectors to decarbonise. Although there are exciting developments with electric and hydrogen-power aircraft, SAF is critical to aviation achieving its net-zero targets by 2050.
The International Air Transport Association (IATA) estimates that SAF will contribute around 65% of the reduction in emissions needed for the aviation sector to achieve its decarbonisation goals.
SAF is not perfect, but the world does not have time to wait for a perfect solution.
SAF also only works when the feedstock is genuinely sustainable and production and logistics are made as environmentally friendly as possible.
To help aviation get to NetZero, SAF production needs to ramp up quickly. SAF Investor was launched in 2022 when SAF accounted for less than 1% share in the global jet fuel – around 300m litres. By 2050, airlines will need 450bn litres. This is achievable. In fact, we see it happening faster as more feedstocks are added and new technology makes production more efficient (but not everyone agrees with this).
IATA SAF Production Forecast
2019: 25m litres
2020: 62.5m litres
2021: 100m litres
2022E: 300m-450m litres
2030 Target: 30bn litres
2050 Target: 450bn litres
Source: IATA
Our aim is to inform and bring together innovators, producers, capital, customers, airports and other stakeholders who need to work together to make SAF production happen.
Many airlines have committed to using a SAF as a percentage of fuel use by 2030.
Airlines SAF Commitments 2030
Air France – 10% (63% in 2050)
Delta – 10% roughly 400m gallons
IAG (British Airways, Iberia, Aer Lingus) – 10%
Ryanair – 12.5%
JetBlue – 10%
Shell has also committed to having 10% of global aviation fuel sales as SAF by 2030.
Source: SAF Investor
At the moment SAF can only be used as a blend but all of the major aircraft and engine manufacturers have committed to 100% SAF flights.
The European Union also has set its own targets:
EU Fit for 55
2025: 2%
2030: 5%
2035: 20%
2040: 32%
2045: 38%
2050: 63%
Our team
Alasdair Whyte, editor
Alasdair has been an aviation journalist since 1999. In 2010 he was one of the launch team of Corporate Jet Investor and Helicopter Investor. He was also one of the Co-founders of Revolution.Aero – which focuses on the future of flight – in 2018.
He was also editor and publisher of Airfinance Journal between 2001 and 2010.
[email protected]
Louisa Whyte, managing director
Louisa is managing director of Specialist Insight – which runs Corporate Jet Investor, Helicopter Investor, Revolution.Aero and other specialist events and media.
Louisa has managed and organised leading aviation events since 2000. Before founding Corporate Jet Investor, she led the growth of Airfinance Journal Conferences around the world.
[email protected]
