While climate scientists consider sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) an important but incremental step toward meeting a 2050 carbon neutrality goal, engine and airframe manufacturers have trained their sights squarely on the fuel’s development, seeing it as an integral and enduring part of a holistic endeavor to stem climate change.
To what extent SAF will ultimately contribute to achieving net neutrality, however, remains a matter of debate. The industry’s major OEMs all voice an interest in pursuing a universal approach to curbing carbon emissions, but so far only Airbus has publicly unveiled plans to commit to such a radical solution as hydrogen power for its next clean-sheet narrowbody design. Of course, such an ambitious project will take billions of dollars in investment, not only in airframe and engine technology but in the infrastructure needed to ensure a ready supply of fuel for the airplanes.
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