Former Aer Lingus, British Airways and IAG boss Willie Walsh has accused fuel suppliers of inflating green aviation fuel prices for their own gain, something he described as being “completely unacceptable”.
According to global news agency Reuters, Mr Walsh has suggested the setting in place of EU-mandated targets for European airlines to reach – in terms of the percentage of sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) they use – has enabled fuel suppliers to inflate their selling costs; with some of them nearly doubling prices compared to market rates.
In an exclusive interview with Reuters, Mr Walsh – who is the director general of aviation representative group the International Air Transport Association (IATA) – said: “They have, in effect, facilitated price gouging by fuel suppliers in the name of the environment, and that’s completely unacceptable.”
The EU began requiring airlines to use more SAF this year, with a 2% minimum blending mandate set to rise to 6% by 2030.
Sustainable aviation fuel already costs on average three to five times more than regular jet fuel.
