Sustainable Aviation Fuels: Transitioning Towards Green Aviation

Abstract

The aviation industry faces increasing pressure to decarbonise amid rising global air traffic and international climate commitments. Sustainable Aviation Fuels (SAF) have emerged as a central policy instrument in addressing aviation-related emissions, particularly under the International Civil Aviation Organization’s (ICAO) net-zero 2050 target. This article presents a critical conceptual analysis of SAF as a pathway toward green aviation, using Joachim Buse’s Sustainable Aviation Fuels: Transitioning Towards Green Aviation as a primary analytical reference. Employing a qualitative, literature-based methodology, the study evaluates the environmental, economic, and regulatory dimensions of SAF adoption. The analysis reveals that while SAF offers significant emission-reduction potential, its sustainability claims are constrained by high production costs, feedstock limitations, risks of market oligopolisation, and policy dependence on Western regulatory frameworks. The article further argues that the exclusive positioning of SAF as the sole solution risks oversimplifying aviation’s climate challenge and marginalising alternative technological and systemic approaches. The study contributes to sustainability and aviation policy literature by situating SAF within broader debates on energy transition, market power, and environmental ethics, and by proposing a more pluralistic approach to achieving green aviation.