Sustainable jet fuel targets could push food prices higher, Ryanair CEO O’Leary warns

The CEO of Ryanair has acknowledged the need for ambitious sustainable aviation fuel targets while also expressing concerns about how food prices could be affected. On Wednesday, Michael O’Leary said his firm was investing “a lot of money” with Trinity College Dublin on research into sustainable aviation fuel, or SAF. In April, the two organizations launched a sustainable aviation research center backed by a E1.5m donation from the airline. As well as focusing on SAF, the center will look at noise mapping and zero-carbon propulsion systems for aircraft. Ryanair has itself set a target of powering 12.5% of its flights with SAF by the year 2030. O’Leary said he thought it was “a very ambitious target – I’m not sure we’ll get there.” He went on to articulate his feelings about the wider effects of increasing SAF usage. “I do worry over the longer term, though, on sustainable aviation fuels … what’s that going to do to food prices going forward?” “I think we’re going to reach a point in the next 10 or 20 years where there will be challenges posed not just for the airline industry, but for industry in general, around sustainable aviation fuels where it may have an upward impact on food prices.” Although the European Union Aviation Safety Agency says there’s “not a single internationally agreed definition” of sustainable aviation fuel, the overarching idea is that it can be used to reduce an aircraft’s emissions. <br/>