Conclusion What stands out from 2025 is the aviation industry’s positive attitude and willingness to advance the sector’s transition to net zero, despite financial challenges and geopolitical disruptions affecting passenger and cargo trends, as well as organizational priorities across the fuel and aviation supply chains. Sustained growth, new SAF project developments and the roll-out of supportive policy globally continue to demonstrate political support. This has been essential to maintain international collaboration despite geopolitical headwinds. Feedback from the World Economic Forum’s aviation community members suggests that, at this stage, a recalibration of aviation’s overarching net- zero ambitions is not expected, as support within countries and industry remains strong. While the destination remains unchanged, many executives expect the pathway to undergo adjustments to reflect market challenges and remove bottlenecks. Hence a more pragmatic approach to sustainability will continue to dominate industry discussions during 2026 and beyond, especially in light of longer-term SAF technology production challenges. Pressing questions abound. How can a renewed focus on energy security help unlock decarbonization? Which decarbonization scenarios can deliver the best opportunities for growth across the aviation industry, from airports to fuel supply chains? How can policy be aligned globally, or at least regionally? How can the clean electricity needs of aviation be met – for airports and fuels? What is the role of AI? Ideas and practical solutions to these questions have already been emerging in 2025, with new collaborations and partnerships developing across the globe and progress in selected areas, as reported in this white paper. Nevertheless, greater public-private collaboration is vital to drive a more pragmatic way forward that can maintain the sector’s latent momentum towards net zero and harness the willingness of stakeholders to work together towards a more sustainable future for the sector. In 2026, the World Economic Forum will continue to offer a platform for constructive dialogue across all the areas covered in this report. The aim is to find more tangible answers to the open questions above and advance collaboration among airports, airlines, fuel producers and suppliers, infrastructure providers, financiers, academia, NGOs and governments. From more in-depth discussions on book-and- claim mechanisms for SAF in Asia-Pacific to the industry gathering at the Farnborough International Airshow, the Forum’s activities in 2026 will continue to combine evidence-based analysis with thought-provoking views to accelerate the aviation sustainability conversation at a critical time for international collaboration and multilateralism.To maintain optimism, public-private sector collaboration in 2026 should focus on pragmatic avenues to address net-zero aviation’s challenges. Global Aviation Sustainability Outlook 2026 48