#Sustainability20: Airlines face price-gouging by green jet fuel sellers, IATA says & more
Weekly roundup - 17/10/25
Each Friday, we publish a round-up of the 20 most important stories on sustainable aviation. You can see previous editions of #Sustainability20 here.
Industry updates
IATA has accused fuel suppliers of using EU green fuel mandates to impose excessive surcharges on airlines, nearly doubling costs and engaging in “price gouging.”
BBVA has joined Iberia’s ‘Círculo SAF’ initiative, which will reduce the bank’s corporate flight emissions by using SAF.
Cirium’s latest forecast projects that 46,500 new aircraft, valued at $3.4 trillion, will be delivered over the next 20 years, with Asia driving nearly half of the demand.
IAG leads European airlines in SAF usage, with a 3.9% blend for its intra-EU flights, while other carriers, such as Lufthansa and Ryanair, lag behind.
CLIMATE WATCH: Australian tropical rainforest trees switch in world first from carbon sink to emissions source - The Guardian
Australian tropical rainforest trees have become the world’s first to switch from a carbon sink to a net carbon source due to increasingly hot and dry conditions.
Infrastructure and operational efficiencies
Poland’s CPK has helped develop an online ‘Replication Toolbox’ as part of an EU project, offering airports practical guidance on reducing their environmental impact.
Sustainable Aviation Fuel (SAF)
Japan Airlines has invested in the MORISORA Bio Refinery, a joint venture that will produce SAF from domestic woody biomass starting in 2027.
Spanish energy company Moeve has become the first external supplier to join Shell’s Avelia blockchain platform, which aims to scale up the use of SAF.
Exolum will invest £4.5 million to build the UK’s first independent SAF blending facility, creating a national ‘SAF Superhighway’ pipeline network.
Indonesia is considering a mandate for a 1% SAF blend on international flights from Jakarta and Bali starting in 2026.
A new report has identified four alternative feedstocks for SAF production in the US to help scale up supply beyond used cooking oil.
Kenya Airways has expanded its SAF programme, launching a series of flights with a 2% SAF blend to European and African destinations.
Gevo is shifting investment from South Dakota to North Dakota for its SAF project, citing delays with the Summit Carbon Solutions pipeline.
China has approved export quotas for three more biofuel refiners, a move expected to increase shipments of SAF to Europe.
New technology: Electric and Hydrogen
EHang’s VT-35 aerial vehicle has completed its transition flight test and is now progressing through the airworthiness certification process in China.
Electra has selected Evolito to supply the electric propulsion units for its EL9 ultra-short hybrid-electric aircraft, with test flights planned for 2027.
Rolls-Royce Advances Hydrogen-Powered Aviation Engine Technology - Fuel Cells Works
Rolls-Royce has patented a novel hydrogen fuel system for gas turbine engines, marking a significant step in tackling the challenges of hydrogen-powered flight.
Archer Aviation has acquired the patent portfolio of German company Lilium for €18 million, gaining key technologies for its electric aircraft development.
ZeroAvia has shipped its first SuperStack Flex modular fuel cell system to a defence sector customer after it was qualified against airworthiness requirements.
Horizon Aircraft has selected Pratt & Whitney Canada’s PT6A engine to power its hybrid-electric Cavorite X7 vertical takeoff and landing aircraft.
Honda Aircraft Company has conducted a successful test flight of its HondaJet using a 100% blend of SAF.