By Chinelo Obogo
Minister of Aviation and Aerospace Development, Festus Keyamo, has expressed concern over the affordability of Sustainable Aviation Fuels (SAF), noting that price differential of SAF is higher compared to conventional jet fuels today.
The Special Adviser on Media and Communications to the Minister, Tunde Moshood, said Keyamo who spoke on behalf of the continent at the ongoing third ICAO Conference on Aviation and Alternative Fuels, advised global aviation stakeholders on the need to harmonise the development, production and deployment of SAF, saying that no particular region should be left behind in developing, producing and deploying SAF and other cleaner energy for aviation.
He said the global framework must address availability, reliability and affordability of SAF and its cost impacts on air fares and that any potential targets or any amount of SAF/LCAF and other cleaner energy for aviation to replace conventional fuels should be a global target without attribution or commitment of individual state target.
“I wish to highlight that no particular region should be left behind in developing, producing and deploying SAF/LCAF and other cleaner energy for aviation. Cost and affordability are central issues to implement policies in support of the vision. Noting that the price differential of SAF/LCAF is higher compared to conventional jet fuels today, the global framework must address availability, reliability and affordability of SAF/LCAF and its cost impacts on air fares. Any potential targets or any amount of SAF/LCAF and other cleaner energy for aviation to replace conventional fuels should be a global target without attribution or commitment of individual State target. The global framework must be supported by a robust and targeted institutional strengthening and capacity building, technology transfers and access to new and financing to all states especially to developing countries in line with ‘No Country Left Behind’ policy. For financing, the global framework must ensure simple, clear and easily accessible financing or funding (both public and private) for the development, production and deployment of SAF/LCAF,” he said.
The Aviation Minister informed the global audience of the continent’s future plan for the aviation sector, saying, “Central to this growth and development is our realization that environmental sustainability and tackling climate change will contribute to the sustainable development of air transport especially in Africa. It is for this reason that the African Union under Agenda 2063 has identified the Single African Air Transport Market (SAATM) as one of the flagship projects to transform the aviation industry in Africa, promote socio-economic development and integration of Africa.
“Africa is home to over one billion people with a vast landmass that requires a robust aviation system to move people and goods around. Aviation supports socio-economic development and integration of Africa and as such, we have committed to ensure the growth and development of African Aviation in the same way as other regions of the world.
As part of the African efforts to address this resolution, the African member states working through AFCAC have taken the initiative to accelerate the development, production and deployment of SAF, LCAF and other cleaner energy sources for aviation.”
In his speech, Keyamo also recognised that, member states of the aviation atakeholders had adopted Resolution A41-21 which recognised that the LTAG is a collective global goal and does not attribute specific obligations to individual states, or takes into account special circumstances and respective capabilities of States, in particular developing countries; maturity of aviation markets, the sustainable growth of the international aviation industry and that emissions may increase due to the expected growth in international air traffic until lower emitting technologies and fuels and other mitigating measures are developed and deployed.
He promised that the African continent will be making its contributions through the respective States who will speak and present technical papers as well as through the coordinated technical submissions by AFCAC under the respective agenda items to further share experiences and its expectations for the global framework that will be adopted at this CAAF 3.
“A lot is happening in the African continent to address the resolution of net zero CO2 emissions by 2050. An initiative to accelerate the development, production and deployment of SAF/LCAF and other cleaner energy has been launched to address the low the production levels of SAF, LCAF and cleaner energies in Africa,” said.
During the roundtable session on Sustainable Development of Air Transport in Africa held on the margins of the 36th African Union (AU) Assembly of Heads of State and Government in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia in February 2023, the Ministers of the AU Member States, the AU High Representative for Infrastructure Development in Africa, AFCAC and other aviation stakeholders identified soaring aviation fuel prices that continue to put African airlines under strain. This necessitates identification of cheaper alternative sources of aviation fuels mainly the use of SAFs to ensure competitiveness in addition to enhancing efforts to decarbonise the industry by contributing to a 55% reduction in GHG emissions by 2050.