…As IATA Says Airlines Lagging On Sustainable Fuel Goals
By Charles Ebi
Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority ,NCAA, has said that airlines that fail to refund passengers within 14 days will face sanctions.
The Director of Public Affairs and Consumer Protection of the NCAA, Michael Achimugu, said compliance with ticket refunds remains a key pillar of the agency’s consumer protection drive.
He said airlines must strictly adhere to refund timelines as stipulated under Part 19 of the NCAA Regulations of 2023.
He said, “Cash purchases must be refunded immediately and by cash. Refunds for electronic payments, including mobile apps and internet banking must occur within 14 days.
“The authority has maintained a balanced approach, fostering cooperation between operators and regulators to promote better service delivery.
“Most airlines have been responsive, and the relationship between operators and the NCAA has significantly improved, benefiting passengers across the board”.
Achimugu also commended the Minister of Aviation and Aerospace Development, Festus Keyamo and NCAA’s Acting Director-General, Chris Najomo, for their efforts towards advancing the aviation sector.
Recall that on September 20, 2024, Keyamo directed the NCAA to address airline ticket refunds owed to passengers within 24 hours.
Meanwhile, the Director General of the International Air Transport Association ,IATA. Willie Walsh, has said the aviation sector is not advancing quickly enough in its efforts to scale up the production and usage of Sustainable Aviation Fuel ,SAF, according to
He made the disclosure white speaking at IATA’s media day in Geneva on Tuesday, Walsh expressed concern about the slow progress toward the industry’s net-zero emissions target by 2050.
“We’re not making as much progress as we’d hoped, and we’re certainly not making as much progress as we need”, Walsh stated.
Currently, SAF constitutes only 0.3% of global jet fuel consumption, a figure projected to grow to just 0.7% by 2025, according to IATA data.
This modest growth rate has raised alarms among experts, who stress the need for a dramatic acceleration in SAF production to meet the aviation sector’s decarbonization goals.
An IATA study presented on Tuesday revealed that global green jet fuel production in 2024 is expected to be only 1 metric ton—falling short of IATA’s earlier projection of 1.5 metric tonnes.
Walsh pointed to the limited number of biorefineries under construction as a significant bottleneck. These facilities, critical for SAF production, require substantial capital investments and lengthy development timelines.
To address these challenges, IATA plans to launch a new initiative next year aimed at better tracking global SAF projects. This initiative is intended to increase transparency and provide a clearer picture of the sector’s progress.
Walsh highlighted the disparity in government incentives between Europe and the United States. The 2022 U.S. Inflation Reduction Act ,IRA, seen as a cornerstone of outgoing President Joe Biden’s climate agenda, has allocated hundreds of billions of dollars to clean energy initiatives, including SAF production.
Europe, on the other hand, has yet to introduce comparable incentives, creating a competitive disadvantage for SAF development in the region.
Walsh also noted uncertainties surrounding the future of the IRA under President-elect Donald Trump. While the Trump administration’s first term made progress in advancing certain clean energy initiatives, Walsh acknowledged the possibility of changes to policies impacting SAF production.
“There was quite a lot of progress in the first Trump administration in this area as well. So I don’t think this is a black-and-white issue”, Walsh said, suggesting that negotiations on key policies might be postponed rather than derailed entirely.
