The second edition of the ALTA Fuel & Sustainability conference brought together representatives from 24 airlines operating in Latin America and the Caribbean, together with suppliers and authorities. The main objective of the event was to address critical issues related to the production, distribution and supply of fuels in the aviation industry. Furthermore, viable paths to achieving a more sustainable operation were discussed, emphasizing environmental, social and corporate governance initiatives that will play a fundamental role in promoting this agenda in the region.
“Thanks to our business model, in 2023 we generated 26% fewer emissions per enger transported compared to 2019 and 20% fewer absolute emissions, while we reached around 32 million engers transported in 2023, the highest number in Avianca’s history,” said Felipe Gómez, Director of Government Relations at Avianca, during his intervention on the that dealt with operational and ESG actions that improve the sustainability strategy of airlines.
“Sustainability is a company commitment and we do it in a responsible and realistic way so that aviation does not become a luxury, as it was a few years ago. We have to think about the Latin American and the great progress we have made so as not to go backwards. Our focus is on access to air service in our region. In 2023, 16% of Avianca engers were people who flew with us for the first time. Spaces like this are essential for us to connect with government entities from various countries and understand that in Latin America we have particular challenges and realities that we must face together,” said Gómez.
Diogo Youssef, Executive Efficiency Manager at Azul Linhas Aéreas, highlighted AZUL's actions. “We have more than 40 initiatives to generate efficiency and work with all areas of the company, which made us the first airline with targets approved by SBTi (Science Based Targets). This integrated approach has allowed us to reduce fuel consumption, improve operations and become more efficient. In Latin America, we are responsible for less than 0,05% of the planet's emissions, but the commitment to being more efficient remains strong.”
Air KLM is using Artificial Intelligence (AI) together with pilots to review all operational measures, analyze each flight, trajectory, speed and other factors that allow it to understand how fuel consumption is going and how efficiencies can be generated that contribute to sustainability. “We want to continue to promote SAF production not only globally, but also in Latin America, because we see the potential in countries like Colombia, the socioeconomic impact it would have and we are ready to collaborate to complete the necessary legal framework,” said Maristella Rodriguez , Colombia sales manager for Air -KLM.
Marco Larson, sustainability leader at SKY Airline, spoke about inclusion and gender equality. “Around 40% of SKY’s board of directors is made up of women. We also have the “Woman Dare to Fly” program, which encourages the participation of female pilots and, currently, more than 10% of our pilots are women. The commitment to inclusion, education and sustainability are fundamental for the board and the company.”
For Stephano Gachet, director of fuel supply and aviation taxes at LATAM Airlines, the secret is to innovate and try new things. “It is also very important to sustainable and fair public policies. At LATAM, we are working closely with the corporate affairs team on this, and with MIT (MIT), we are carrying out a study to determine best practices for promoting SAF in this region.”
“At LATAM, we have an important commitment in our climate change pillar: to be 50% carbon neutral for our domestic operation by 2030 and 100% carbon neutral by 2050. We will achieve this through fuel efficiencies, SAF, carbon offsetting and fleet renewal”, reinforced Gachet.
In the same vein, Felipe Trujillo, product and petrochemicals manager at Ecopetrol, highlighted the main factors to achieve stable, scaled production of SAF in Colombia. “Sound technical regulation, the use of sustainable raw materials, the continuous advancement of technology, the implementation of government policies and incentives, the establishment of an effective certification process, effective marketing strategies and the expansion of distribution infrastructure are required. airport”, he pointed out.
Hydrogen as an alternative
In addition to discussions on sustainability and fuel efficiency, the conference also included a on upgrading the use of hydrogen in aviation, moderated by Carlos Mancilla, from H2 Colombia, and with representatives from Boeing, Airbus and Embraer.
As the aviation sector looks for ways to become more sustainable, hydrogen is emerging as an option for producing clean energy without generating carbon emissions. However, there are technical and logistical challenges that need to be faced to enable the large-scale use of hydrogen in aviation.
“We will need a few decades to achieve hydrogen flight, especially to achieve commercial flight applications with larger aircraft. We still have challenges in of design, operation and maintenance, acquisition and certifications”, explained Otavio Cavalett, director of Public Policies and Sustainability Partnerships at Boeing for Latin America and the Caribbean.
Cesar Pereira, Sustainability and Strategy Advisor at Embraer, stated that the company is studying the minimum size of aircraft for the use of hydrogen. “We believe that the application will primarily be on aircraft with up to 50 seats. However, before talking about the application, it is important to talk about the market need”, he said
Guillaume Gressin, vice president of strategy at Airbus, argued that there is no single solution. “There are several pillars to achieve sustainability and we are working hand in hand with their opportunities and challenges. At Airbus, we have a goal of reducing emissions by 63% by 2030, compared to 2015, because we also use paraffin in our operations. We are using the solutions we are developing. This year, we have already used 11% of SAF and, in 2030, we will use 30%. As manufacturers, we have to focus on technology not being a constraint on the use of SAF or other innovations. We believe that Latin America will be one of the first regions to have hydrogen due to its production capacity and main routes.”
(*) A regional vision
In a Latin American context, several entities, such as TOPSOE (technology company for reducing carbon emissions), the Dominican Civil Aviation Institute (IDAC) and the Civil Aviation Technical Council (CETAC), recognize the importance of advancing towards more sustainable and affordable aviation.
The TOPSOE representative highlighted the impact of SAF on ticket prices and its consequent socioeconomic impact on the region, which highlights the need to seek efficient and accessible mechanisms for the population.
On the other hand, IDAC highlighted the potential for using deactivated sugarcane fields for the production of SAF, which could generate significant economic and environmental incentives.
CETAC, in turn, pointed to regional collaboration and the need to work together to create an environment conducive to investment in more sustainable aviation technologies and practices. These efforts demonstrate the region's shared commitment to a greener, more equitable future in aviation.
With enriching discussions, networking opportunities and a renewed commitment, the ALTA Fuel & Sustainability Conference ended with the promise of a new edition in 2025. We are very grateful to our sponsors Argus, Terpel, Exolum, Neste, World Fuel Services, AEG Fuels and SITA for making this event possible.
Read also
- Qatar Airways CEO reveals new first class and Qsuite redesign
- Embraer selects Dassault technology in the development of Eve Air Mobility
- Congonhas Airport stops operations after control tower becomes inoperative due to power outage
Street: HIGH
