Sustainable aviation fuel (SAF): incentives, rather than mandates, could be more effective

IATA boss Willie Walsh says that oil suppliers are "price gouging" when selling airlines sustainable aviation fuel (SAF), which is crucial to aviation's 2050 net zero target.

This is because they are passing on the cost of compliance with EU and UK SAF mandates to their airline customers.

This adds even further to the cost of SAF, already much more expensive than jet fuel.

Moreover, through the law of unintended consequences, it acts as a disincentive to the development of the embryonic SAF market that the mandates are aimed at stimulating.

Mr Walsh argues that European regulators should eliminate SAF mandates.

He may have a point.