ICAO: Malaysia illustrates commitment to sustainable aviation fuel

Photo: ICAO

Taken together, sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) and operational improvements hold the promise of delivering almost two-thirds of the CO2-emissions reductions required to decarbonize international aviation by 2050.

Juan Carlos Salazar, secretary general of the International Civil Aviation Organization, focused on this priority in his discussions with leaders of Malaysia’s air-transport and fuel sectors during his recent mission to Malaysia, which included a visit to the Civil Aviation Authority of Malaysia’s new state-of-the-art Kuala Lumpur Air Traffic Control Centre.

Salazar was welcomed by Mohamad Radzuan Bin Mazlan, undersecretary of Malaysia’s Ministry of Transport; Mohamed Sharil Tarmizi, the deputy chairman of CAAM’s board of directors; Chuah Hean Teik, a CAAM board member; and Norazman Mahmud, CAAM’s CEO and director general.

The KLATCC is playing a crucial role in providing more efficient and seamless air-traffic management in the region.

The review of the environmental and operational benefits of Malaysia’s air-navigation investments was followed by discussions at the headquarters of Petronas, where Hardeep Kirpal-Singh, the general manager of commercial business, and his colleagues presented the company’s SAF initiatives to Salazar and others.

The secretary general welcomed the successful cooperation between Petronas and Malaysia Airlines, including the conclusion of landmark trial flights.

He also hailed the formation of a special task force by the National Aerospace Industry Coordinating Office, under the leadership of the Malaysian Ministry of International Trade and Industry, to further drive the advocacy, promotion and adoption of SAF, in line with the “12th Malaysia Plan” and commitment toward a lower-carbon future.

The secretary general furthermore highlighted the importance of Malaysia sharing its expertise in this area at the upcoming Third ICAO Conference on Aviation and Alternative Fuels (CAAF/3).

Throughout his mission, which took place Oct. 20-21, Salazar was accompanied by Manjit Singh, ICAO’s deputy regional director for Asia and the Pacific region.