The biggest challenge facing the commercial aviation sector, globally, is sustainability, asserted International Air Transport Association (IATA) director-general Willie Walsh, in his address to the 2024 Annual General Assembly (AGA) of the African Airlines Association (AFRAA), being held in Cairo, Egypt. (AFRAA and IATA are the representative bodies for the airline industry, in Africa and globally, respectively.)

“By 2050 we must be at net zero carbon emissions,” he highlighted. “This is existential to our future growth, the health of our planet and the prosperity of people everywhere who depend on aviation.”

In 2021, the industry had agreed on the need, and the course to follow, to achieve net zero by 2050. There would, he warned, be many twists and turns on the political level on the way there. But, reversing course was not an option.

That course included the large-scale production and use of sustainable aviation fuels (SAF). And that created a big opportunity for economic development across Africa.

“SAF will contribute more than 60% of the mitigation needed for aviation’s decarbonisation,” he pointed out. “But only a few percent of our fuel needs can currently be met with SAF and there is no production in Africa. That must change and change quickly. Africa has the people and natural resources to develop a world-class SAF sector, provided the financing and government incentives are available. This is a perfect example of ‘build it and they will come’. And along with SAF will come jobs, growth and progress towards energy independence.”

Walsh urged Afreximbank (the main sponsor for AFRAA AGA 2024) to look at ways to finance SAF development in Africa, thereby strengthening African aviation connectivity, and so develop the continent’s trade. And strengthening African trade was the objective of Afreximbank.

“IATA is doing its part by strengthening its sustainability team,” assured Walsh. “Among our top priorities are building a SAF registry that will be a foundation stone for a global SAF market, producing and updating roadmaps to net zero in the areas of technology, finance and policy, and freeing up the carbon credits that airlines will need to meet their [Carbon Offsetting and Reduction Scheme for International Aviation] obligations. On this last point, last week we hosted an auction for airlines to purchase credits from the very limited stock available. As we move along the journey to net zero, you can count on IATA’s support – in the region and from our growing central sustainability team.”