Decarbonizing Aviation: Innovations in Sustainable Aviation Fuels

Sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) has emerged as a cornerstone of global strategies to decarbonize aviation. Conventional jet fuels remain a major source of greenhouse gas emissions, underscoring the urgent need for scalable, low-carbon alternatives. SAF can be produced from a wide range of non-fossil feedstocks, including waste oils, biomass, municipal solid waste, and captured carbon dioxide, offering multiple technological pathways to achieve substantial lifecycle emission reductions.Despite recent advances in conversion technologies, refinery integration, and certification frameworks, significant technical, economic, and regulatory barriers continue to limit widespread deployment. The qualification of new SAF pathways under the ASTM D4054 protocol remains a complex, multi-year process requiring extensive collaboration with engine and airframe manufacturers. This creates a critical bottleneck for commercialization. In parallel, high production costs, constrained feedstock availability, and fragmented policy landscapes highlight the need for research that enhances supply chain resilience, reduces costs, and ensures sustainability across the entire value chain.This Research Topic seeks to highlight breakthroughs that can accelerate the adoption of SAF across the aviation sector. We welcome contributions spanning fundamental research, applied engineering, system-level analysis, and commercial implementation. Studies demonstrating measurable emissions reductions, improved sustainability performance, or clear pathways to commercial deployment are of particular interest. Interdisciplinary and cross-sectoral articles are strongly encouraged.Areas within the scope of this Research Topic include, but are not limited to:• Advancements in feedstock cultivation for SAF• SAF production technologies, including emerging routes such as power-to-liquid and advanced bio-based pathways• Hydrogen and CO₂ supply chains for power-to-liquid SAF• Fuel composition engineering, aromatics management, and contrail mitigation• Pre-screening and screening methodologies for candidate SAFs• Digital twins, AI/ML, and advanced modelling tools for SAF optimization• Quantitative structure–property relationships (QSPR) for SAF design and optimization• Airport and airline operational integration of SAF• Engine and fuel system compatibility testing• Sustainability assessments, including life cycle and environmental impact analyses• Techno-economic evaluations of SAF production and deployment• Strategies for integrating SAF into existing aviation fuel supply chains and infrastructure• SAF certification, standards, and testing protocols• MRV systems, carbon accounting, and book-and-claim frameworks• Circular economy approaches and co-product valorization• Policy mechanisms and market incentives to accelerate SAF certification, scale-up, and adoption. Topic editors: Ziyu Liu, Weilin Zheng Source: https://www.frontiersin.org/research-topics/73313/decarbonizing-aviation-innovations-in-sustainable-aviation-fuels