In the midst of growing air travel, the international airline association IATA stated on Sunday that India has substantial potential for manufacturing Sustainable Aviation fuel (SAF), which may help cut carbon emissions. SAF output was estimated to reach 0.5 million tonnes in 2023; however, by 2050, this amount has to expand several times over. In order to expedite the fuel's adoption, the International Air Transport Association (IATA) announced that it will create the SAF Registry, which will certify and record emissions reductions resulting from the fuel's use.

It is anticipated that registration will open in 2025's first quarter. The project to build the registry has already received backing from six national agencies, one airline group, seventeen airlines, three OEMs, and one fuel producer.

Hemant Mistry, Director of Net Zero Transition at IATA, indicated that there exists significant potential for sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) production in India. He noted that India's civil aviation market is among the world's fastest-growing, with domestic carriers expanding their fleets to meet escalating air traffic demands. Additionally, Mistry highlighted that 140 identified SAF projects are currently advancing across 31 countries.

During a briefing held on the sidelines of the IATA AGM, Marie Owens Thomsen, Senior VP Sustainability and Chief Economist at IATA, mentioned that various strategies can be employed in different combinations to achieve net-zero emissions. She emphasised that SAF is projected to contribute the most to CO2 reductions by 2050 (65%). Thomsen outlined that to attain 500 million metric tonnes of SAF production by 2050, a significant increase (approximately 1,000 times) from the 2023 level is necessary.

In an official statement, IATA stated that SAF is anticipated to represent up to 65% of the total carbon mitigation required to achieve net-zero carbon emissions in air transportation by 2050.

Willie Walsh, Director General of IATA, underscored the importance of SAF in aviation decarbonisation, stating, "SAF is key to aviation's decarbonisation. Airlines want more SAF and stand ready to use every drop of it."