A thoughtful and insightful op-ed piece from Kevin Michaels. As he points out, the topic of how best to fuel (pun intended) SAF adoption by the airline industry is complex.
I agree with his assertion that SAF presents the only realistic near-term option to reduce emissions. Hydrogen and electric alternatives face a long path for commercialization and manufacturing at scale, and that does not even factor in the long march to pass regulatory approvals. While I am excited about their potential in the long run, we collectively have not even thought about the infrastructure needed at airports and FBOS to support these options.
Most of us in industry are not big fans of mandates, but given the price delta versus conventional fuel, it seems unrealistic to expect industry-wide adoption to happen organically. As Kevin points out, early adopters would be at a significant competitive disadvantage if their competitors can simply "opt out" of SAF. Governmental incentives might be another approach but given the current federal debt level and political dysfunction, that could be a tough sell.
Regardless, it seems clear that "greener" skies will face a challenging path without a clear strategy to level the playing field in commercial aviation.
Robin Toth Nikki Malcom Aerospace Futures Alliance - AFA Aerospace Aviation Forum
