In Ireland, ITTN reported that the chief economist of the International Air Transport Association (IATA) Marie Owens-Thomsen said that the costs associated with transitioning to greener SAF could put many airlines out of business, if government funding aid is not included. Owens-Thomsen told last week’s Airlines 24 industry conference in London that the huge jump in costs associated with switching from traditional jet fuel to SAF means a realistic transition can only come about if outside investment aid is forthcoming, according to the report. “SAF today costs around three times the price of jet fuel. We’ll pay $1 billion extra in 2025 and the costs [of SAF] will go up to $750 billion in 2050. That is not possible,” she said. “Fares have not kept pace with consumer price inflation and have struggled even more to keep pace with jet fuel inflation. So, we need strong policy to encourage investment [in SAF] or there will be no airlines,” she added.
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