- The cost of flying will go up for passengers as the aviation industry looks to achieve net zero.
- The IATA calls for more push to see the industry run on SAF.
The Director General of the International Air Transport Association (IATA), Willie Walsh, which represents some of the world’s largest airlines, has stated that the cost of flying will go up for passengers as the aviation industry looks to achieve net zero by 2050.
The IATA calls for more push to see the industry run on sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) to cut emissions. However, as SAF costs more than conventional kerosene, this cost will be passed onto the customer.
Walsh said: “You cannot expect an industry making on average $1 profit per customer to absorb the increases we’ve seen. There has to be an impact on ticket prices as the industry transitions to net zero. The airlines cannot absorb increased costs.”
He claims that Europe is behind the US in taking SAF seriously, calling for more production and is hopeful Europe can follow suit to keep net zero goals on track.
From an environmental perspective, there is also the argument that seeing higher fares will put more people off flying, curbing emissions from aviation in a separate way, alongside the use of cleaner fuels.