Sustainable Skies World Summit puts SAF reality and investment gaps at centre stage for 2026
February 9, 2026
Senior figures from airlines, regulators, manufacturers, fuel producers, and investors will convene at the Sustainable Skies World Summit in March as the aviation industry shifts from net zero ambition to near-term delivery challenges.
The first wave of speakers for the 2026 event, to be held on 17–18 March at Farnborough, highlights a growing focus on regulatory readiness, sustainable aviation fuel availability, and financeable decarbonisation pathways, as pressure mounts on the sector ahead of tightening mandates later this decade
Confirmed participants include senior leaders from International Airlines Group, European Commission, International Air Transport Association, Airbus, EUROCONTROL, Embraer, ZeroAvia, and logistics and energy players, including DHL and 1PointFive.
SAF availability and regulation under scrutiny at Sustainable Skies
A central theme of the 2026 programme is the gap between policy ambition and fuel availability. A headline session, entitled Busting the Myth: SAF Market Realities in 2026, is set to examine how much SAF airlines can realistically procure over the next two years.
The discussion comes as mandates such as ReFuelEU and national blending requirements approach implementation, while global SAF supply remains constrained by feedstock availability, financing hurdles, and project timelines.
Regulatory perspectives will be represented by speakers from the European Commission, EUROCONTROL, and Civil Aviation Authority Norway, alongside airline sustainability and policy leaders from IAG and Oneworld.
Turning aviation sustainability goals into investable projects
Investment is positioned as a second major pillar of the summit, with sessions focused on building bankable sustainability projects, rather than aspirational roadmaps.
Overcoming Obstacles to Progress: Building Investable Business Cases for Sustainability will bring together CFOs, investors, and strategy leaders to explore how capital can be unlocked through risk-sharing mechanisms, blended finance, and value-stacking approaches.
From SAF production and hydrogen infrastructure to next-generation propulsion technologies, securing a final invesmtent decision is often the single biggest hurdle to success. Expect this to be high on the agenda when the industry comes together next month.
According to Duncan McCourt, Chief Executive of Sustainable Aviation, the emphasis reflects a recognition that aviation’s decarbonisation challenge cannot be solved through technology alone.
“As the industry faces mounting pressure to meet net zero targets, this year’s discussions will assess collective progress since 2021 and issue a clear call to action for coordinated policy, investment, and system-wide transformation required before 2030,” McCourt said.
Sustainable Skies 2026: Expert speakers to shape the conversation
The speaker list for Sustainable Skies World Summit 2026 highlights how aviation’s sustainability debate is increasingly grounded in delivery, operations, and industrial reality, rather than long-term aspiration alone.
Alongside airline and OEM executives, the agenda brings in voices from regulation, fuel supply, finance, maintenance, and end-of-life asset management, reflecting the full lifecycle challenges facing the sector.
| Name | Role | Organisation |
|---|---|---|
| Nicholas Cadbury | Chief Financial Officer | IAG |
| Eddy Liegeois | Head of Unit, Aviation Policy | European Commission |
| Matt Ridley | Director of Sustainability & Innovation | Oneworld Alliance |
| Preeti Jain | Head of Net Zero Research and Programs | IATA |
| Tim Lederer | VP Regulatory Affairs & Fuel, Global Aviation | DHL |
| Nichola Bates | Founder & CEO | Xelerated Fifty |
| Mark Bentall | Head of Research & Technology | Airbus |
| Marylin Bastin | Head of Aviation Sustainability | EUROCONTROL |
| Jonathon Counsell | Chair, Advisory Board | IAG |
| Kolin Schunck | Senior Manager, Strategic Innovation & Intelligence | Lufthansa Technik |
| James McMicking | Chief Strategy Officer | ZeroAvia |
| Jan Petter Steinland | Director, Strategic Analysis & Transformation | CAA Norway |
| Laurent Donceel | Director, Transport & Industrial Policy and Sustainability | Hydrogen Europe |
| Cesar Pereira | Head of Sustainability, Commercial Aviation | Embraer |
| Anna Stukas | VP Strategic Partnerships | 1PointFive |
| Simon Meakins | Director, Advanced Air Mobility EAMEA | Bristow Group |
| Dr Mai Bui | Director of Climate Science | Supercritical |
| Peter Albin | Carbon Offset Research Lead | Wood Mackenzie |
| Maxime Meijers | Chief Executive Officer | Estuaire |
| William McClintock | Senior Manager, Markets & Sustainability | IBA |
| David Herschell | Senior Specialist Fellow, Deactivation & Disposals | RAF DRDT |
Taking place at the Farnborough International Exhibition and Conference Centre on 17–18 March, the summit comes as aviation faces narrowing timelines to comply with SAF mandates, emissions reporting rules, and the rollout of next-generation technologies.
Registration is now open, and the event is free to attend. To secure your place, visit the Sustainable Skies website.
Featured image: Sustainable Skies
