“In the end, it’s probably not going to achieve anything because the main message has been diluted,” the sector representative added.
The industry paper of dubious origin recommends various “calls for immediate action” to be included in the upcoming Sustainable Transport Investment Plan, which Tzitzikostas will announce later this year.
According to an airline representative, the Commission’s efforts to influence the message of the aviation industry are an attempt to repair the communication damage inflicted on ReFuelEU — the EU’s flagship legislation to decarbonize aviation — at the Airlines for Europe summit in late March.
On that occasion, the CEOs of major airlines, including Lufthansa, Air France-KLM, Ryanair and British Airways’ parent company, IAG, called for a delay in what they called “not realistic” mandates aimed at increasing the role of SAF — which is currently mainly made from used cooking oil — in the jet fuel mix.
The first SAF mandate to include at least 2 percent SAF in the jet fuel mix sold to airlines took effect on Jan. 1. But airlines are complaining that they are paying twice the expected price as suppliers are charging them additional “compliance fees” in addition to SAF, which already costs three times the price of fossil kerosene.
In 2030, fuel suppliers will be requested to provide jet fuel that is at least 6 percent SAF, including 1.2 percent of synthetic e-SAF made from renewable hydrogen and captured CO2. No final investment decisions have been made on any e-SAF projects in Europe.
