SAF potential takes off as aviation emissions set to rise with pandemic recovery

The pandemic interrupted a steady surge in global air travel demand, when passenger numbers tripled in just over 20 years. Jet fuel demand remains below pre-pandemic levels and is not expected to fully recover until late 2025 or 2026, according to S&P Global Platts Analytics. Yet the race is still on to limit aviation emissions growth because there are no quick fixes for decarbonizing this sector. The International Energy Agency expects aviation emissions to be 12% above pre-pandemic levels in 2030, even if airlines and governments meet their announced sustainability goals. Rep. Sean Casten, Democrat-Illinois, spoke with Platts senior editor Meghan Gordon about the policy outlook for sustainable aviation fuel, whether the US can meet the Biden administration's supply and emission targets, and some of the challenges could stand in the way. They spoke a day after Casten joined the CEOs of United Airlines and Marathon Oil, along with other officials, on the first passenger flight fueled by 100% SAF. Stick around after the interview for Chris van Moessner with the Market Minute, a look at near-term oil market drivers.