EU and ICAO mark milestone in sustainable aviation fuels project

A special ceremony was held today during the 42^nd ICAO Assembly, to mark the completion of three EU funded studies under the International Civil Aviation Organization’s capacity building and training programme for sustainable aviation fuels (ACT-SAF). The studies – a business implementation study for South Africa, and SAF feasibility studies for Ethiopia and India – represent an important step in advancing the global uptake of sustainable aviation fuels (SAF).

Today’s event brought together European Commissioner for Sustainable Transport and Tourism Apostolos Tzitzikostas, Director-General for Mobility and Transport Magda Kopczyńska, ICAO Secretary-General Juan Carlos Salazar, and high-level representatives from South Africa, Ethiopia and India.

Commissioner for Sustainable Transport and Tourism, Apostolos Tzitzikostas, stated: "These three completed studies show how international partnerships can turn ambition into action. Through ACT-SAF and in line with ICAO’s no country left behind strategic goal, we are ensuring that all states – regardless of size or geography – have the opportunity to develop sustainable aviation fuels, and contribute to global climate goals."

This ACT-SAF project, with a total budget of €4 million financed by the EU, aims to help partner countries reduce CO₂ emissions from international aviation through SAF development. Implemented jointly by ICAO and the European Union Aviation Safety Agency (EASA), the initiative covers 15 States across Africa and Asia, supporting feasibility studies, business cases and capacity-building activities.