Lufthansa subsidiary Austrian Airlines, which operates one of the oldest long-haul fleets in Europe, expects it will need a fleet rollover this decade. 

No fast lane is in sight for the introduction of sustainable aviation fuels (SAF) in significant quantities, as producers still have to cope with complex processes and high costs, French oil giant TotalEnergies says.

Yet many of those companies are small- and medium-size businesses and finding the time and money is a serious hurdle for them, industry observers warn.

Lufthansa’s decision to return part of its Airbus A380 fleet to service is a reflection of an unexpected boom in demand for long-haul flights and a solution to delivery delays affecting the carrier’s widebody fleet—but it comes with substantial additional complexity and economic risk.

In an effort to mitigate the effects of Western sanctions imposed in response to Moscow’s invasion of Ukraine, the Russian government has outlined a plan to reconfigure the country’s commercial aircraft fleet in favor of domestically produced airliners by 2030. 

The metal is key to aircraft construction, and Russian suppliers accounted for 30-50% of Europe’s needs before the war in Ukraine.

The European Parliament’s Transport Committee has approved legislation that includes a more ambitious sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) mandate than one originally proposed by the European Commission’s “Fit for 55” climate package.  

IATA says SAF production needs to increase from roughly 100 million liters (26.4 million gal.) annually in 2021 to 449 billion liters (119 billion gal.) to meet the industry’s goal of net zero carbon emissions.