The International Air Transport Association (IATA) and the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) have announced a strengthened collaboration focused on advancing sustainable aviation fuels development and deployment. The announcement came on 2nd June 2026 during ICAO Aviation Climate Week in Montreal, signaling a commitment by industry leaders and regulatory bodies to work together on tracking progress and accelerating the transition to cleaner aviation energy solutions.
The partnership emphasizes the critical importance of transparency and integrity in monitoring sustainable aviation fuels adoption across the global aviation sector. By combining the resources and expertise of both organizations, the initiative aims to establish robust systems and high-quality data infrastructure that will enable accurate tracking of aviation cleaner energies and their measurable contribution toward achieving net zero carbon emissions by 2050.
A cornerstone of this collaboration involves exploring how sustainable aviation fuels registries and their data collection capabilities can support the implementation of ICAO’s Long-Term Aspirational Goal Monitoring and Reporting methodology. The organizations have committed to examining fuel accounting systems for international aviation, ensuring that data collected through various SAF registry initiatives can serve the broader goals of transparency and accountability.
“Credible tracking is necessary to know the emissions reductions delivered by SAF. The data collected by the CADO SAF Registry, among others, has the potential to meet this need,” said said Willie Walsh, IATA’s Director General.
“By working with ICAO to strengthen how progress on SAF use is measured and reported, we can accelerate deployment, build trust across stakeholders, and put aviation on track for net zero by 2050. This will set a great example for individual states to work with industry to make the most of the SAF data that is being accumulated,” he further added.
Juan Carlos Salazar, ICAO Secretary General, said, “Achieving ICAO’s vision of net‑zero carbon emissions from international aviation by 2050 will require unprecedented levels of transparency and cooperation across the entire sector.”
“This agreement will support the strengthening of ICAO’s leadership as we support States and industry in their scaling up of sustainable aviation fuels and other aviation cleaner energies,” he added.
