Emirates carried out a first demonstration flight on Monday with a passengerless Boeing 777-300ER, with 100% sustainable fuel in its engine from Dubai International Airport.
Pointed out by environmentalists, some 300 companies claiming 83% of global air traffic and united within the International Air Transport Association (Iata) are currently calling for increased production of sustainable aviation fuels.
SAF ("sustainable aviation fuel") are made from biomass or waste oils, for example.
"If, by 2030, 50% of fuel comes from SAFs, it would be a big step forward, but it will depend on the ability of companies to produce them and deliver them to airports," warned Adel Al-Redha, chief executive. operations in Emirates.
And producers will also have to "offer affordable prices" because high costs would be a "hurdle for airlines or companies", he told AFP.
In 2019, SAF production was just 25 million liters, according to Iata, while aviation consumed some 413 billion liters of fuel in the same year, according to figures from the International Agency. Energy.
Production has increased to 200 million liters in 2022, according to Iata, which hopes to reach 30 billion liters per year by 2030 in its ambitious project of "net zero emissions" of CO2 for air transport by 2050. .
Environmental NGOs accuse the aviation sector of disproportionately promoting these alternative fuels, which they claim, however, uses only extremely marginally.
A major hub for air transport, the United Arab Emirates is hosting the next UN climate conference, COP28, at the end of the year, amid criticism from NGOs, the country being among the world's leading exporters of crude oil
© 2023 AFP