New IATA Platform Boosts Efficiency, Transparency In Sustainable Aviation Fuel Market

The International Air Transport Association (IATA) has unveiled the Sustainable Aviation Fuel (SAF) Matchmaker platform, a pivotal digital tool designed to transform how airlines procure sustainable aviation fuel. This new platform directly connects airlines seeking SAF with producers offering supply, streamlining negotiations and accelerating the adoption of SAF across the aviation industry.

The SAF Matchmaker addresses three critical challenges in the SAF market: Efficiency: By providing a centralised, no-fee platform, the Matchmaker simplifies and speeds up the procurement process, reducing costs and administrative burdens for airlines. This efficiency is expected to stimulate growth in the voluntary SAF market.

Secondly, the platform allows SAF producers to post available or planned fuel volumes, while airlines can register their demand. This direct matching mechanism facilitates better alignment of supply and demand, with final trade negotiations conducted offline.

Also, the comprehensive data on SAF offerings—including volume, feedstock, production technology, emissions reductions, and compliance with international standards such as CORSIA and the EU Renewable Energy Directive—ensures transparency and informed decision-making.

IATA’s senior vice president, Sustainability and Chief Economist, Marie Owens Thomsen, emphasised the platform’s strategic role in achieving aviation’s net-zero carbon emissions goal by 2050. She stated, “To reach net zero carbon emissions by 2050, we need an accessible, transparent, liquid, and efficient SAF market. The SAF Matchmaker will accelerate the uptake of SAF by reducing the costs and complexity that airlines face when searching for SAF suppliers.”

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Hosted on the Aviation Energy Hub—a centralised digital space for aviation energy management—the SAF Matchmaker supports both spot purchases and long-term offtake agreements. Initially available to airlines and SAF suppliers, the platform is expected to expand access to other buyers, such as non-aviation corporations, further broadening the market.

This innovation marks a significant step toward decarbonising air travel by facilitating easier access to sustainable fuels, which can reduce lifecycle carbon emissions by up to 80 per cent compared to conventional jet fuel. By enhancing market transparency and connectivity, the SAF Matchmaker is poised to accelerate the aviation industry’s transition to cleaner energy sources and support global climate goals.

This development is widely regarded as a crucial enabler for scaling sustainable aviation fuel usage, addressing long standing procurement challenges, and fostering a more liquid and transparent SAF market essential for the aviation sector’s sustainable future.