Wedoany.com Report on Feb 12th, Ryanair CEO Michael O'Leary stated at a press conference in Paris that Europe's targets for Sustainable Aviation Fuel (SAF) usage may need to be postponed. O'Leary said at the conference: "Those targets will have to be moved to the right." The press conference primarily announced a new long-term engine service agreement between Ryanair and CFM.
Discussing the SAF targets set to take effect in early 2025, O'Leary emphasized: "We will barely reach 2% by 2026. The prospect of achieving 6% by 2030 is slim; they will only move to the right. It's simply impossible—the supply just isn't there." This reflects that the insufficient supply of sustainable aviation fuel is a major obstacle to achieving the targets.
As early as March 2025, European airlines began questioning the feasibility of the increasingly ambitious sustainable aviation fuel targets, warning of supply shortages and high costs. However, fuel producers such as Neste countered these concerns at the time, stating they had sufficient capacity to meet the 2030 demand.
Beyond the sustainable aviation fuel topic, O'Leary also called on the European Commission to take stricter measures to ensure flight connectivity during national air traffic control strikes and suggested halting additional taxes on European air travel. He believes these measures would help support the aviation industry and enhance Europe's overall competitiveness.
Regarding air traffic control reform, O'Leary stated that airlines have lost confidence in the progress of the Single European Sky initiative. He pointed out that protecting cross-border flights during strikes and ensuring adequate staffing for early morning flight slots are key measures that "would make a big difference."
However, O'Leary expressed pessimism about the upcoming Irish presidency of the Council of the European Union or the Council's ability to advance significant issues at the EU level. He added: "I don't think this Irish government can... find a way." This highlights the challenges facing sustainable aviation fuel targets and other aviation policies.
