European aviation industry welcomes CAAF/3 agreement on SAFs

27 November 2023: The five leading European aviation associations representing Europe’s airlines, airports, civil aeronautics industry and air navigation service providers, which are close partners through the Destination 2050 alliance – A4E, ACI EUROPE, ASD, CANSO Europe and ERA – welcome the agreement reached by ICAO Member States at the Third Conference on Aviation Alternative Fuels (CAAF/3) in Dubai.

The agreement is an important step necessary to start implementing ICAO’s Long-Term Aspirational Goal of reaching net zero carbon emissions by 2050 for international aviation. Sustainable Aviation Fuels (SAFs) are a crucial component of aviation’s pathway to climate neutrality.

The Destination 2050 partners in particular applaud the inclusion of a 5 per cent CO₂ emissions reduction objective by 2030 through SAF use globally, which will provide a clear signal for the energy sector to develop alternative fuels and attract the necessary investment.

ENDS

About Destination 2050
Europe’s aviation sector is collectively on board to lead the way in reducing aviation CO₂ emissions by 2030 and 2050 – making flying more sustainable for the long term. In February 2021, Europe’s airlines, airports, civil aeronautics industry and air navigation service providers laid out a joint long-term vision along with concrete solutions to the complex challenge of reaching net-zero CO₂ emissions from all flights departing the EU, UK and EFTA by 2050. The independent report by the Royal Netherlands Aerospace Centre (NLR) and SEO Amsterdam Economics shows how a combination of actions from all stakeholders – including the EU and national governments – in four key areas could achieve substantial CO₂ emissions reductions in line with EU climate goals. These include: Improvements in aircraft and engine technologies (including hybrid, electric and hydrogen propulsion), using sustainable aviation fuels (SAFs) both for fixed- and rotary-wing platforms, implementing economic measures and improvements in air traffic management (ATM) and aircraft operations. For more information, visit www.destination2050.eu

Media contacts
A4E
Kevin Hiney
Communications Director
Email: kevin.hiney@a4e.eu
Phone: +32 499 82 82 94

ACI EUROPE
Agata Lyznik
Director of Communications and Media
Email: agata.lyznik@aci-europe.org
Phone: +32 2 552 09 89

ASD
Adrian Schmitz
Communications Director
Email: adrian.schmitz@asd-europe.org
Phone: +32 473 13 33 30

CANSO Europe
Johnny Pring
Manager Europe Policy and Advocacy
Email: johnny.pring@canso.org
Phone: +32 493 53 61 24

ERA
Paula Bangle
GM Business Development
Email: paula.bangle@eraa.org
Phone: +44 1276 485558