'Air France has bought 10% of the SAF available in the world in 2024' (Antoine Laborde, Air France)

'Among the various levers for decarbonising the aviation sector, sustainable aviation fuels (SAFs) are the most effective and easiest to use: these synthetic fuels, derived from biomass, can reduce GHG emissions by up to 65% over their entire life cycle compared to paraffin. In 2024, 1.3 billion litres of SAF were produced, accounting for 0.7% of global consumption. However, production costs were four times higher than those of kerosene. Air France acquired 10% of the world's SAF stocks on this nascent and illiquid market, where prices are decoupled from real production costs. As well as the vital question of costs for an item that accounts for 20% of an airline's operating costs, the issue of competition distortion between regions of the world is also vital. How can we generalise the use of SAF to decarbonise global aviation without disadvantaging certain regions? These are not the only challenges posed by SAFs. Their origin and environmental benefits also need to be monitored', says Antoine Laborde, Air France's Director of Fuel Purchasing, in an interview with News Tank on 5…