2024 U.S. Aviation Industry National Action Plan Released

Figure 1: SAP-MAP2024 (Green indicates countries and regions that have already submitted Sustainable Aviation Plans [SAPs]. China submitted its '2022 Policy and Action Plan for Green Development of Civil Aviation' to ICAO in 2022, comprehensively introducing to the international community China’s practical experience in aviation carbon reduction and showcasing achievements in green transformation.) 2024 U.S. Aviation Industry National Action Plan The 2024 U.S. Aviation Industry National Action Plan (hereinafter referred to as the “Plan”) unfolds in two main parts: first, summarizing progress toward net-zero emissions under the 2021 SAP framework; and second, outlining aviation emission-reduction goals and technological development priorities for the next three years. The Plan states that civilian aircraft R&D is led by the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) and NASA, with the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) expected to further advance these efforts post-2050. It also notes that R&D conducted by the U.S. Department of Defense (DOD) may be applicable to civil aircraft and could complement and enhance civil aviation development. Emphasizing national support for technology pathways, the Plan underscores the dual importance of economic viability and sustainability—projects must reduce both capital investment and operating costs while improving overall economic returns. The Plan identifies the development and deployment of Sustainable Aviation Fuel (SAF) as a top priority for U.S. aviation climate action. Through interagency coordination, the federal government has designed economic incentives—including SAF tax credits and investment credits—to narrow the cost gap between SAF and conventional petroleum-based jet fuel. This aligns with the Biden administration’s 2022 Inflation Reduction Act, which supports tax credits for SAF and clean fuel production to boost consumer purchasing power and use policy levers to meet the aviation industry’s high-standard decarbonization targets. The FAA supports fuel safety testing, analyzes SAF’s economics, environmental impacts, and potential production volumes, and coordinates funding from civil aviation stakeholders, federal agencies, and the international community to build an economically viable SAF industry. The Plan highlights the FAA-led FAST (Fueling Aviation’s Sustainable Transition) initiative, aimed at investing in SAF production and utilization, as well as developing low-emission aviation technologies. In August last year, the FAST program awarded grants totaling $291 million to 36 SAF and technology projects across 23 states (Figure 2). Of this, nearly $245 million funded 22 projects focused on SAF supply chain research and production infrastructure; the remaining $46.5 million supported 14 technology projects developing low-emission aviation technologies and related testing capabilities. In the figure below, green markers indicate SAF-funded projects and blue markers denote technology projects—illustrating their geographic distribution across the United States. Figure 2: Projects Funded Under the U.S. FAST Program Another FAA-led initiative is the CLEEN (Continuous Lower Energy, Emissions, and Noise) Program—a public-private partnership supported by the Aviation Sustainability Center (ASCENT)—aimed at developing certifiable aircraft and engine technologies. Phase III outcomes will undergo ground and flight demonstrations in 2026 and be integrated into next-generation engines and aircraft products during the 2030s. Phase IV will launch in 2025, fostering new five-year collaborative partnerships among U.S. industry stakeholders and enterprises.

What do airlines and fuel producers truly care about once SAF enters the scale-up phase?

Accordingly, this conference places key emphasis on airline SAF procurement, cost considerations, sustainability strategies, as well as Book & Claim mechanisms and Scope 3 emissions. Second, how can SAF projects achieve genuine commercialization? From the perspective of producers, constructing an SAF facility falls far short of achieving commercial viability. A project must resolve a series of interconnected issues—including feedstock sourcing, technology selection, production capacity, certification, financing, and off-take arrangements. For example, regarding feedstocks and technology pathways, the market currently focuses on relatively mature routes such as Used Cooking Oil (UCO) and Hydroprocessed Esters and Fatty Acids (HEFA), while increasingly exploring emerging options like electrofuels (eSAF), Power-to-Liquid (PtL), hydrogen-based fuels, and next-generation aviation fuels. Each pathway faces distinct challenges in terms of feedstock availability, energy requirements, cost structures, and stages of commercial readiness. For investors, more pragmatic questions arise: Does the project have stable demand? Can it secure long-term offtake agreements? Will future cash flows be sufficient to support financing? Thus, SAF and e-fuels project financing and long-term offtake agreements have become one of the core discussion topics at this conference. Third, how can Chinese SAF enter international markets? For an SAF project aiming to access the global aviation market, merely producing the fuel is insufficient. It must also address certification, traceability, international policy frameworks, and cross-border market access. For instance, regulatory schemes such as ReFuelEU, CORSIA, and diverse SAF policies across Asia-Pacific markets may significantly influence airline demand and fuel flow patterns. For Chinese SAF enterprises, competition will therefore extend beyond production capacity to encompass certification capability, supply chain management expertise, and ability to connect with international markets. Accordingly, this conference will also examine global certification standards, traceability systems, cross-border trade mechanisms, and regional policy implementations. Fourth, why is cross-industry collaboration especially critical for SAF? Because scaling SAF cannot be achieved by any single type of enterprise acting alone. Airlines require reliable suppliers; fuel producers need dependable feedstocks and long-term buyers; technology developers require real-world project applications; financial institutions seek robust business models; and airports and logistics providers must address fuel blending, storage, transportation, and refueling infrastructure. These elements are deeply interdependent. That is precisely why the 2026 SAF China Congress does not invite only one category of enterprise. Confirmed participants span airlines, SAF producers, energy companies, research institutes, certification bodies, financial and investment institutions, and international organizations. In the aviation sector, representatives from Cathay Pacific, China Eastern Airlines, Hainan Airlines, Sichuan Airlines, Japan Airlines, Lufthansa Group, and Qantas will also attend. Beyond discussion—partnerships are essential The SAF market remains in a rapid growth phase. Many enterprises attend industry conferences not merely to stay informed about developments, but to identify suitable procurement partners, suppliers, technology collaborators, investment institutions, or project co-development partners. Therefore, over the two-day conference, 12 hours of structured business networking activities are scheduled—including formal business meetings, one-on-one sessions, business lunch networking, and technology exhibitions. Attendees can also use the conference’s dedicated one-on-one business matchmaking app to identify potential partners in advance, schedule meetings, and continue using the platform for six months after the event concludes.

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