The head of the Scottish Passenger Agents’ Association (SPAA) has called on the Westminster and Holyrood governments to support sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) production in Scotland.
SPAA president Mike Tibbert suggested Scotland could become “a leading SAF producer” but only with government support, including loan guarantees.
Tibbert also urged government support to restore air connectivity in Scotland, especially to “major UK hubs”, following “a dramatic reduction” since the start of the pandemic.
Speaking at the SPAA annual dinner in Glasgow last week, Tibbert said: “Sustainability is high up the agenda for us all. We must look to the most-practical, immediate solution for reducing air travel emissions – Sustainable Aviation Fuels (SAF).
“But to meet aviation’s net zero commitment, SAF will have to account for 65% of the industry’s carbon mitigation in 2050.”
He noted: “An estimated 449 billion litres of SAF will be required annually. Current investments should enable production of five billion litres by 2025. That is a big gap.”
Tibbert argued: “It’s a gap Scotland can help to fill. As Scotland moves away from oil and gas production, sites such as Grangemouth and St Fergus offer excellent options to produce SAF and establish Scotland as a leading producer.
“[But] government support would be required to de-risk investments in these facilities through loan guarantees.”
He added: “Scotland can also become a test bed for hydrogen and electric flight. We’re a viable proving ground for island-hopping, electric aircraft. But we need a firm policy framework and funding to deliver on the Scottish Government ‘s aim of decarbonising scheduled flights within Scotland by 2040.”
Tibbert also insisted: “Strong route networks are crucial to economic recovery. Pre-2020, our routes were developing after years of hard work. The pandemic forced a dramatic reduction in connectivity.
“Not only are we missing opportunities to the US but we’re perilously short of connecting flights between Scotland and major UK hubs.”
The SPAA chief questioned why Scotland was not benefiting from the “booming cruise industry”, arguing: “Cruise is having an extraordinary moment in terms of UK demand. This year, we have almost 50 ships setting sail from the UK. How many are in Scotland? Just two.
“We’ve ready-made infrastructure in Scotland – at Greenock, Leith, Rosyth and now Aberdeen. Our local port economies should be benefiting from the appetite for holidays at sea.”
He told the SPAA dinner: “We intend to investigate why we’re not maximising the potential and how we can support changing the tide on this.”
Tibbert insisted: “We’re willing and able to take on the challenges our sector faces. All we need is a government willing to work with us.”