PIT’s SAF Project to Help IATA Reach Net-Zero Goal
Airline industry group supports efforts to increase production and reduce costs
By Brian Hyslop
Published June 9, 2025
Read Time: 3 mins
As Pittsburgh International Airport moves forward with the development of the first on-airport sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) production facility, the International Air Transport Association (IATA) notes that global production will need to expand exponentially if the industry is to meet its commitment to achieving net-zero carbon emissions by 2050.
“The pace of progress in ramping up production and gaining efficiencies to reduce costs must accelerate,” IATA Director General Willie Walsh told delegates at this year’s IATA Annual General Meeting in New Delhi, which occurred from June 1-3.
The aviation industry is committed to achieving net-zero emissions by 2050, primarily through a gradual transition to SAF, which reduces CO2 emissions by up to 80 percent. It can be produced by a variety of non-fossil fuels, including waste oil and municipal waste.
PIT and Avina Synthetic Aviation Fuel are partnering on a state-of-the-art facility to provide SAF by deploying KBR’s innovative PureSAF alcohol-to-jet technology, developed and owned by Swedish Biofuels AB and exclusively licensed globally by KBR.
It’s an opportunity for airline partners to secure SAF readily and cost-effectively as part of PIT’s commitment to resiliency and energy innovation.
“This unique partnership with Avina and KBR will result in on-site SAF production and fills a growing need for our airline partners and the industry overall,” said Cassotis. “With abundant natural resources, robust energy infrastructure, and available fuel storage, PIT is uniquely positioned to meet these goals and serve the growing demands for SAF.”
“I have always been skeptical referring to governments and supply chain participants as partners. But if there is one area where we should share a partnership, it’s sustainability. … Decarbonization needs true and active partnership,” Walsh said.
IATA predicts SAF production will reach 2 million tons in 2025 — double the amount produced in 2024 — but still accounting for only 0.7 percent of total airline fuel use. The global trade association reports that SAF could account for approximately 65 percent of the reduction in emissions needed by aviation to reach net-zero CO2 emissions by 2050.
In terms of regional distribution, the United States leads with over a 35 percent share of renewable fuel capacity available, followed by around 22 percent capacity in Europe.
“The cost of achieving net zero carbon emissions by 2050 is estimated to be an enormous $4.7 trillion,” Walsh told delegates.
To address costs, IATA is launching the SAF Matchmaker platform to connect SAF suppliers with airlines, creating a marketplace in the global SAF market.
“We must absolutely work in a concerted fashion across the globe in favor of this maximization of renewable energy and renewable fuel production, Marie Owens Thomsen, IATA’s Senior VP Sustainability & Chief Economist, said at a briefing for international media. “We are not asking for support for our airlines, we are asking for support for renewable energy production.”
“It can’t be left to the airlines to try and support and deal with all of these projects to actually support the development of new technology pathways,” agreed Hemant Mistry, IATA’s Director of Energy Transition.
Owens Thomsen acknowledged that while reaching the net-zero goal by 2050 is challenging, “it is entirely achievable” provided there is a sense of urgency.
“We really need to act now, otherwise it will be too late,” Preeti Jain, head of Net Zero Research and Programs, told the media.
IATA’s next Annual General Meeting will be in Rio de Janeiro in June 2026, hosted by LATAM Airlines Group. The meeting is the organization’s primary gathering where airlines and other industry stakeholders come together to address industry issues.
“By the time we meet next year, we must be able to show more progress [on decarbonization]. And by ‘we’, I mean all the aviation industry and governments who are joined in a common commitment to net zero by 2050,” Walsh said in his state of the industry address.
