industry AVIATION INDUSTRY T he COVID-19 pandemic created an economic scenario that could have threated the aviation industry's adoption of sustainable aviation fuel, particularly for the hard-hit passenger-carrying airlines. But as the industry climbs out of the crisis, the true impact on sustainability measures might be surprising: Both business aviation and the airlines segments of the industry stepped up goals. The passenger airline industry was challenged in unprecedented ways during the COVID-19 pandemic, but Tim Pohle, Airlines for America vice president for environmental affairs, said member carriers are as 54 avionics news * february 2022 S T O R Y B Y L I N D S E Y M C F A R R E N steps up sustainable fuel commitment dedicated as ever to their commitments to using SAF. According to the association, U.S. airlines transported a record 2.5 million passengers and 58,000 tons of cargo per day prior to the pandemic, contributing less than 2% of the country's total carbon emissions. The industry realized improvements in fuel efficiency by more than 135% between 1978 and the end of 2019 - a savings of over 5 billion metric tons of carbon dioxide. Now the industry has turned its focus to SAF, announcing in March 2021 a commitment to net-zero emissions by 2050 and pledging to work with others