Why support the use of Sustainable Aviation Fuel?
Sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) is the umbrella term for all aviation fuels produced without using fossil sources, such as crude oil or natural gas.
It is a key technology to make flying more sustainable and plays a crucial role in the energy transition of the aviation industry. Furthermore, it can be used in standard flight operations without requiring changes to existing infrastructure.
Compared to fossil fuels, the SAF employed by ITA Airways enables a reduction of at least 80% in CO₂ emissions.
For your flight, we estimate the fuel consumption and ensure that an equivalent amount of SAF will be used on future ITA Airways flights within six months.
Why does SAF reduce CO₂ emissions by at least 80%?
Sustainable aviation fuel is produced through resource-efficient processes.
Today, a range of production technologies is available, along with different raw materials that can be used as energy sources. The SAF currently used by ITA Airways is mainly produced from biogenic residues, such as used cooking oils and fats.
Its distinctive feature lies in the CO₂ cycle:
Although combustion releases a similar amount of CO₂ to fossil fuels, the raw materials used in its production have already absorbed CO₂ from the atmosphere.
As a result, the CO₂ emitted corresponds to the amount previously removed.
Since CO₂ is still generated during production and transportation, SAF does not achieve a 100% reduction across the entire supply chain. However, it still guarantees an overall reduction of at least 80%.
Why isn’t SAF used on all flights?
Currently, SAF costs approximately three to five times more than conventional fossil fuels and is not yet available in sufficient quantities to power all flights.
ITA Airways is involved in numerous projects aimed at rapidly increasing the availability of sustainable fuels.
As production expands on an industrial scale, costs are expected to gradually decrease in the near future.