DUBAI: Kenya Airways (KQ) and KLM Royal Dutch Airlines today convened a high-level executive roundtable in Nairobi that reached a landmark consensus on the future of sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) in Africa.
For the first time, senior leaders from the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO), Kenya Civil Aviation Authority (KCAA), Kenya Airports Authority (KAA), the African Airlines Association (AFRAA), and the International Air Transport Association (IATA) agreed on a joint roadmap and policy recommendations to unlock investment and regional production of SAF.
The package of recommendations includes:
- SAF blending mandates to accelerate adoption across African carriers.
- Incentives for producers, such as tax breaks and subsidies.
- Streamlined certification processes to ease market entry.
- Regional collaboration mechanisms to align governments, regulators, and private sector investment in SAF infrastructure.
This policy breakthrough comes at a crucial time. Aviation accounts for 2–3% of global CO₂ emissions, and Africa’s passenger traffic is expected to double by 2035. With abundant biomass resources and strong growth potential, the continent is uniquely positioned to play a leading role in the global sustainability transition.
The Nairobi roadmap lays the foundation for Africa to scale up SAF production and uptake, while also fostering knowledge exchange between global and regional partners. It includes pilot projects in Kenya and the Netherlands, drawing on KLM’s expertise in SAF procurement via mass balance systems and Kenya Airways’ corporate SAF uplift model.
Source: https://www.biztoday.news/
