Recent Advances in Sustainable Aviation Fuel from Renewable Feedstocks: A Biobased Perspective

Decarbonizing the aviation sector remains one of the most challenging aspects of the global energy transition because commercial aviation relies on high-energy-density liquid hydrocarbon fuels that cannot be readily replaced by electrification or hydrogen in the near term. Sustainable Aviation Fuel (SAF) has emerged as a viable solution for reducing lifecycle greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions while maintaining compatibility with existing aircraft, engines, and fuel infrastructure. This review presents an assessment of renewable biomass, waste-derived feedstocks, and captured CO2 as sustainable carbon resources for SAF production. This study compares biological, thermochemical, electrochemical, and catalytic routes. Comparative evaluation indicates that no single technology can independently satisfy future aviation fuel demand; instead, integrated, feedstock-flexible circular-carbon biorefineries combining complementary conversion technologies provide the most promising route toward large-scale SAF deployment. Finally, this review identifies key research gaps and commercialization barriers, highlighting feedstock availability, renewable hydrogen integration, standardized sustainability assessment, and integrated biorefinery development as critical priorities for advancing scalable, ASTM-compliant, low-carbon aviation fuels and supporting the transition toward net-zero aviation.