In this onsite interview, Evgenia Starkova, Vice President Strategy & Marketing at SkyTeam, shared how the 18-airline alliance is approaching sustainable aviation fuel adoption — not by dictating a single path, but by giving member airlines the space and platforms to exchange experience with each other.

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Starkova noted that while APAC carriers have often taken a quieter approach to public commitments compared to Europe — where SAF mandates affect every member airline flying in or out of the region — the actions underway, from large-scale SAF production in China to voluntary adoption across several carriers, are substantial in their own right. That contrast, she said, is exactly why SkyTeam sees its role as facilitating dialogue rather than coordinating policy: airlines come together through the alliance to share what's working, from SAF procurement to pricing, rather than following a single prescribed approach.​

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On the economics — SAF still costs three to five times more than traditional jet fuel — Starkova was candid that there's no silver bullet, describing progress instead as a cumulative, trial-and-error process. SkyTeam's Aviation Challenge, an annual initiative that has shifted from rewarding innovation to rewarding scale, reflects that same philosophy of learning through practice. Looking to 2030, she was clear about what would mark real progress — not more MOUs or statements of intent, but final investment decisions on SAF production facilities.