Journal of Scientific Engineering Advances

Abstract

The aviation industry faces mounting pressure to decarbonise as global climate commitments intensify. Sus tainable Aviation Fuel (SAF) has emerged as one of the most technologically feasible medium-term solutions, capable of reducing lifecycle greenhouse gas emissions by 60–90 per cent while maintaining compatibility with existing aircraft fleets and airport infrastructure. As one of the world's largest producers of palm oil, biomass, and agricultural residues, Indonesia possesses significant comparative advantages for SAF produc tion. Yet translating these resource endowments into a commercially viable and internationally accepted in dustry requires overcoming complex technological, economic, institutional, environmental, and governance challenges. This qualitative literature review synthesises recent scholarly evidence regarding Indonesia's SAF development progress, evaluates feasible production pathways for developing countries, and examines multidimensional factors influencing implementation. The review adopts an interpretative approach integrat ing evidence from energy policy, aviation economics, biomass utilisation, life-cycle assessment, industrial strategy, and sustainability governance. Findings indicate that Indonesia has made encouraging progress through successful bioavtur demonstration flights and abundant renewable feedstock availability, yet sig nificant constraints persist regarding production costs, technological readiness, certification requirements, investment risks, and regulatory certainty. The paper argues that Indonesia's long-term competitiveness re quires integrating industrial policy, sustainability governance, technological innovation, carbon pricing, infrastructure investment, and international collaboration within a holistic national SAF strategy.