Efforts to accelerate the deployment of sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) are gaining momentum, with the International Air Transport Association (IATA) and the International Civil Aviation Organisation (ICAO) joining forces to ensure transparent reporting that can build confidence across the industry and keep aviation on track for its 2050 net zero target.
“By working with ICAO to strengthen how progress on SAF use is measured and reported, we can accelerate deployment, build trust across stakeholders, and put aviation on track for net zero by 2050,” stated IATA Director General Willie Walsh.
Walsh’s statement came after IATA and ICAO announced enhanced cooperation at the ‘ICAO Aviation Climate Week’ to advance transparency and integrity in tracking progress and accelerating the development and deployment of SAF.
Both organisations agreed to explore how SAF registries and the data they collect can support the implementation of ICAO’s Long Term Aspirational Goal (LTAG) Monitoring and Reporting methodology, as well as the consideration of fuel accounting systems for international aviation.
ICAO secretary general Juan Carlos Salazar said the agreement would strengthen ICAO’s leadership in supporting states and industry to scale up SAF and other cleaner energies.
“Achieving ICAO’s vision of net zero carbon emissions from international aviation by 2050 will require unprecedented levels of transparency and cooperation across the entire sector,” Salazar emphasised.
The partnership is seen to enhance efforts of stakeholders in the Middle East, which is positioning itself as a strategic hub for SAF production, with industry forums in Abu Dhabi underscoring the region’s growing role in eFuel innovation.
Formula 1 announced in 2024 that it is expanding its SAF investments through a new programme developed with Qatar Airways. Formula 1 added that Qatar Airways Group completed in the same year an additional purchase of SAF for use in its fleet, which has resulted in reduction of 19,000 tCO2e.
The Qatar Civil Aviation Authority (QCAA) has also launched research projects with Hamad Bin Khalifa University and Qatar Airways to explore SAF production from local resources, aligning with Qatar’s 2024–2030 climate strategy.
Beyond Qatar, regional energy giants are investing heavily in SAF. The Abu Dhabi National Oil Company (ADNOC) became the first Middle East company to receive ISCC certification for SAF production at its Ruwais Refinery, while Saudi Aramco has partnered with TotalEnergies and SIRC to build a SAF plant in Dammam.
Aramco is also developing eFuel demonstration projects in NEOM, producing synthetic fuels from green hydrogen and captured CO2, underscoring the Gulf’s ambition to lead in next generation aviation energy.
As IATA and ICAO strengthen global monitoring frameworks, Gulf carriers and energy firms are well placed to benefit from transparent SAF accounting systems, ensuring that regional investments are recognised consistently under international climate frameworks.
“By improving our global monitoring capabilities and visibility into SAF production, distribution, and use, we can support the integrity of global fuel accounting systems and ensure that climate investments are recognised consistently and transparently under ICAO frameworks,” Salazar pointed out.
According to IATA, close collaboration between industry and states, underpinned by robust systems and high-quality data, will aim to enable transparent and credible tracking of aviation cleaner energies and their contribution towards net zero carbon emissions by 2050, in alignment with the respective IATA and ICAO ambitions and commitments.
Walsh said, “Credible tracking is necessary to know the emissions reductions delivered by SAF. The data collected by the CADO SAF Registry, among others, has the potential to meet this need...This will set a great example for individual states to work with industry to make the most of the SAF data that is being accumulated.”
