France pledges to invest in SAF and low-emission planes

France’s President Macron has vowed to invest heavily in sustainable aviation. Some € 300 million of public money will be spent on the development of new aircraft technology and motor research, and another € 200 million on SAF.

The money injection is intended to help develop small electric or hydrogen-powered aircraft and renewable fuels, including the construction of a SAF production plant in Lacq southwest France. "We French must be the champions of the ultra-sober aircraft... and we have the power to do it," Macron said, according to a report on RFI.

By investing in tech and SAF, Macron will directly and indirectly support industries such as Safran, Airbus and Dassault. In 2020, the French aviation industry employed 691,000 people, about 7 percent of France's industrial workforce – with annual revenues of 186 billion euros.

The French government recently banned short domestic flights on routes that could be covered in less than two-and-a-half hours by high-speed rail.