IATA Blames Regulators and Suppliers for Failing Sustainable Aviation Fuel Targets

Tashkent, Uzbekistan (UzDaily.com) — Willie Walsh, Director General of the International Air Transport Association (IATA), expressed concern over the slow production of sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) in 2025, warning that many airlines’ ambitious targets of reaching 10% SAF usage by 2030 are “likely unattainable.”

Walsh noted that current fuel supply challenges and supplier pricing abuses make the industry’s goal of net-zero emissions by 2050 even more difficult and costly than anticipated. “We are not seeing SAF production at the volumes we had hoped and expected,” he stressed, adding that the existing regulatory framework, particularly in Europe, has proven ineffective.

According to the IATA chief, the European SAF mandate has failed to stimulate production growth and instead led to a sharp increase in prices. “Fuel suppliers are exploiting their position, charging additional fees for regulatory compliance, which artificially inflates SAF prices,” Walsh said.

He emphasized that the problem lies not in the cost of fuel, but in its availability, and suggested that airlines may be forced to revise their targets. As an example, he cited Air New Zealand, which had previously suspended its plans due to SAF shortages and delays in aircraft deliveries.

Walsh called for accountability, identifying the regulators who initiated the mandate and fuel suppliers who, in his view, are overcharging and taking advantage of the situation for profit.