by Donald Wood
Last updated: 11:11 AM ET, Wed March 31, 2021
Airlines for America (A4A) announced a new collaboration across the aviation industry to achieve net-zero carbon emissions by 2050.
The partnership between A4A carriers and government leaders will work toward a rapid expansion of commercially viable sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) to make two billion gallons available to aircraft operators in the United States by 2030.
While many airline members are already investing in SAF, the aviation industry requires a similar commitment from policymakers, fuel producers and others in the fuel supply chain to achieve meaningful scalability.
"We are proud of our record on climate change. But we know the climate change challenge our country and the world face has only continued to intensify," A4A CEO Nicholas E. Calio said. "Today, we embrace the need to take even bolder, more significant steps to address this challenge."
"Reaching the 2030 SAF goal alone will require an 84 percent annual average increase in SAF production through 2030," Calio continued. "To move the needle, we must all work together, and the government needs to be an active partner and provide positive infrastructure and other investments to complement our efforts."
U.S. airlines improved their fuel efficiency by more than 135 percent between 1978 and 2019, saving over five billion metric tons of carbon dioxide.
The reduced carbon imprint will be appreciated as more and more Americans return to the skies, as the Transportation Security Administration (TSA) screened more than one million people at airports across the United States for 20 straight days, as of Tuesday.
Earlier this week, Bank of America said the recovery of leisure travel is in full swing despite new restrictions in parts of Europe and continued warnings against non-essential travel from the U.S. Centers for Disease Prevention and Control (CDC).
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