By Mohamed Attia
Advisor to the Chairman of the Egyptian Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) and Director General of International Agreements, Karim Gamil, stressed the importance of having regulatory authorities rely on the findings of technical and economic feasibility studies and market indicators when developing and implementing Sustainable Aviation Fuel (SAF) policies.
He said the transition to regulatory requirements should be based on realistic and practical foundations, allowing the aviation sector to achieve its transition goals without placing obligations on countries or industry stakeholders that cannot be realistically implemented.
Speaking as Egypt’s representative at the 9th Forum of the European Civil Aviation Conference (ECAC) in Paris, Capt. Gamil stressed that clear policies and stable regulatory frameworks are key to attracting the investments needed to establish and develop SAF production projects.
Gamil also presented two projects currently under development in Egypt in the field of sustainable bio-based aviation fuel. He highlighted the opportunities these projects offer to strengthen national capabilities in the sector, attract investment, and bring in the technology needed to support the sustainable aviation fuel industry.
Gamil also took part in a high-level panel discussion on the implementation and future of SAF policies, alongside representatives from the European Union Aviation Safety Agency (EASA), Brazil’s National Civil Aviation Agency (ANAC), the UK Department for Transport, the African Civil Aviation Commission (AFCAC), and the Arab Civil Aviation Organisation.
Representing Egypt and the Arab Group, Gamil emphasised that the success of the global transition in aviation requires taking into account the different economic and development circumstances of individual countries when designing international and regional policies. He also highlighted the importance of technology transfer, capacity building, access to financing, and encouraging investment to ensure a balanced and practical transition while maintaining the competitiveness of the air transport sector.
The discussions focused on a number of political, regulatory, and economic issues, particularly how to develop policies that provide investors with the necessary certainty, determine the appropriate timing for introducing regulatory requirements, address differences in countries’ capabilities, ensure the availability of sustainable aviation fuel at competitive prices, and strike a balance between the interests of fuel producers and airlines.
