‘Nobody Wants to Pay More’: TotalEnergies CEO Blames Airlines for Green Fuel Roadblocks

Key Points

• TotalEnergies' CEO criticized airlines for lobbying against oil companies and argued that sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) is significantly more expensive than traditional jet fuel.
• Regulatory uncertainty and high production costs are cited by fuel producers as barriers to investing in new biorefineries for SAF.
• Industry groups warn that slow SAF scaling and expensive mandates could lead to higher airfares for passengers.

Summary

The CEO of TotalEnergies has publicly criticized European airlines for lobbying against oil companies and argued that sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) remains far more expensive than conventional jet fuel. He expressed skepticism over Europe's SAF mandates, citing regulatory uncertainty and high production costs as reasons for limited investment in biorefineries. Meanwhile, industry groups warn that the slow scaling and high cost of SAF could lead to higher airfares for passengers.