By Claudia Ruaro, commercial manager of Air France and KLM for Peru
The aviation is facing one of its greatest challenges: reducing its carbon footprint and achieving neutrality by 2050. The use of fuel sustainable Aviation (SAF) has positioned itself as the most promising response to reduce the sector’s emissions, providing up to 65% of the solution. However, the road to sustainable aviation is long and there are still barriers to overcome, including the transition to sustainable fuel, the implementation of new technologies and close collaboration between industry, society and Government.
Peru has the potential to play a fundamental role. As a country with a strong agricultural tradition, we could take advantage of organic waste and other by-products to produce SAF, and thus not only contribute to the sustainability of the airline industry, but also enhance work and economic development in our regions. But, the implementation of this fuel in aviation remains limited and we are still far from seeing its large-scale use.
In 2023, as a Group we become the largest user of SAF in the world for the second consecutive year by incorporating 80,000 metric tons of this fuel. Globally, only 2% of flights use SAF and, although in 2023 we will use 17% of the total SAF production in the world, we are still very far from achieving the mass adoption that is needed to significantly impact the reduction of emissions.
In our roadmap towards a more sustainable future, we prioritize a focus on three key pillars: fleet renewal, eco-piloting and, of course, the promotion of the SAF, working on innovative initiatives such as the use of AI to optimize resources and reduce waste.
The reality is that, although there are emerging technologies, such as electric or hydrogen aircraft, these are not a viable option for long-distance flights, which reinforces the importance of SAF as the best alternative to decarbonize aviation in the short and medium term. term.
Peru has the opportunity to become a benchmark in SAF production and contribute to the future of sustainable aviation. But to achieve this, a joint effort, clear policies and real commitment from all involved are needed. At Air France-KLM we will continue promoting the use of SAF and betting on innovation; but true change will only be possible if we work together for a cleaner sky and a more responsible future.
