Aviation emissions a worry for NZ gateway


(FILES) This photo taken on June 27, 2022 shows Air New Zealand ATR 72 (L) and Airbus A320 (R) aircraft being refuelled at Wellington International Airport in Wellington. (Photo by William WEST / AFP)

AUCKLAND: The chief executive officer (CEO) of New Zealand’s main aviation hub, Auckland Airport, says she’s worried about the industry’s lack of progress towards decarbonisation as remote destinations grapple with a shortage of low-emissions fuel.

Sustainable aviation fuel (SAF), aviation’s primary means of cutting pollution, accounted for just 0.3% of global jet fuel production in 2024, even less than anticipated, the International Air Transport Association said last month.

The shortfall has already prompted Air New Zealand Ltd to publicly ditch its 2030 emissions target, the highest-profile airline to do so.

In an interview, Auckland International Airport Ltd CEO Carrie Hurihanganui said New Zealand, Australia and neighboring Pacific nations need to address the lack of so-called SAF together.

These countries have little alternative to long-haul flying to connect to the world, making them more reliant on SAF than Europe and North America, she said.

“I do worry about it,” Hurihanganui said. “New Zealand is a geographically isolated country that relies on exports and an open economy for its well-being.

“Getting access to sustainable aviation fuel production is incredibly important.”

Poor international coordination is partly to blame for the lack of SAF production around the world, Hurihanganui said.

“It’s a big, crunchy, complex issue that no one party’s going to solve. The exploration of a regional solution is very important,” she said.

Between 3,000 and 6,500 new renewable fuel plants will be needed to reach aviation’s 2050 net-zero goal, according to the International Air Transport Association.

The rollout will require capital expenditure of at least US$128bil a year, it said.

Remote airports such as Auckland, which handled 18.7 million passengers last year, are potentially most at risk if aviation fails to clean itself up and carbon prices balloon.

Australia’s airports association, for example, has warned that some locations risk being “priced out of the global aviation network” when carbon pricing takes effect.

New Zealand has over 100 airports and airstrips, including five main international hubs, while Australia has over 600 airports and airstrips, including several major international hubs.

According to the Australian Bureau of Infrastructure, Transport and Regional Economics, there are 175 commercial airports in Australia. — Bloomberg

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airline , emissions , carbon , decarbonisation

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