Captain Roland Iyayi, who spoke on behalf of Airline Operators of Nigeria, said the country is in a better place to drive alternative fuel sources for the aviation industry by exploring palm oil.
Iyayi revealed that operators in the industry are keenly following trends in the industry, especially talks around sustainable aviation fuel and its vast opportunity for Nigeria, as the main component of sustainable aviation fuel is palm oil.
He said: “The technology is currently being developed at a very high rate in the UK, and Nigeria has a comparative advantage because we already have the raw materials in abundance,”
With aviation fuel which constitutes 40% of operating costs for every airline now selling at N1000 per litre, Iyayi said airlines can longer cope.
He said the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPCL) should champion sustainable fuel and provide a bigger picture that the economy can grow by providing a comparative advantage.
Minister of Aviation and Aerospace Development, Festus Keyamo, said partnership is the only way to allow the development and use of cleaner energy in the aviation industry.
Keyamo said several technical analyses revealed that Sustainable Aviation Fuel (SAF) has the greatest potential to reduce CO2 emissions from International Aviation.
