Aircraft manufacturers are ready to switch to sustainable aviation fuels immediately, but regulations and the availability and cost of the fuels are stumbling blocks, especially for aviation in Africa. This means that other solutions to cutting emissions need to be pursued.

Speaking on a panel on sustainability in air travel during the Airlines Association of Southern Africa’s (AASA) annual general assembly, Dominique Dumas, ATR’s VP for Sales for Africa, Middle East and Indian Ocean said manufacturers are ready to switch to sustainable fuels immediately but costs and regulations are standing in the way.

“We are ready as soon as the regulation is ready. The aircraft is ready, the engine is ready”, said Dumas.

Verangai Ruswa, Finance Director for the Airports Company of Zimbabwe said OEMs and airlines were driving sustainability in aviation, but questioned how many others in the aviation ecosystem, such as airport operators, ground handlers and regulators are seriously pursuing Carbon Nett Zero 2050 goals.

Stephan Hannemann, Senior VP Middle East and Africa of Embraer Commercial Aviation said the biggest hindrance to the use of SAF is its cost.

“Sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) is four to five times more expensive” than regular jet fuel, he said. In Africa, where airline profit margins are razor thin, and airlines are already paying an average of 17% more for fuel, SAF could make air travel unaffordable.

“If you look at the pricing premium (of SAF), we are going to make African air travel a whole lot more expensive. We are already cash strapped as African airports, because we are not utilising the airport as much as we are supposed to,” Ruswa said.

“Airlines are hardly making a profit. Next to environmental sustainability, the big topic is financial sustainability” Hannemann said.

Hadi Akum, VP Sales for Airbus in Africa said aviation sustainability had two sides to it. 

“You either reduce fuel consumption or you use alternative fuel like SAF,” said Akum.

New aircraft are one way to reduce emissions. Akum said 27% of the aircraft operated in Africa are new, compared with 30% in the rest of the world. But, he said in Southern Africa, which used to have Africa’s most active and modern aviation industry, this figure was far lower.

The problem is, that with a large number of very old aircraft, airlines in the region are not well-positioned to achieve sustainability targets.

Hanneman said that what is working in the region is using what he termed “an efficient aircraft for the mission”. In Africa, where load factors, at 70%, are lower than the rest of the world, switching to a smaller aircraft allows airlines to reduce emissions.

“And a smaller aircraft, in terms of very simple maths, is going to burn less fuel,” he said.