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Beyond SAF: how Aussie firms are electrifying aviation
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While big airlines press ahead with sustainable aviation fuel, Australian start-ups are turning to technologies like batteries and hydrogen fuel cells to cut emissions on shorter routes, as Jake Nelson discovered at the 2026 GreenSkies Summit – but are they getting enough support?
While sustainable aviation fuel, or SAF, is attracting most of the attention and funding, it’s by no means the only game in town when it comes to decarbonising the sector. Larger jets may not be the right fit for hydrogen fuel cells and bulky batteries – but smaller planes on regional routes, as well as emerging sectors like air taxis and advanced air mobility, could be a key market for electric propulsion, according to panellists at February’s GreenSkies Summit, hosted by Aviation/Aerospace Australia in Sydney.
“Remember that electric propulsion is way, way more efficient than internal combustion engines,” said David Doral, chief executive of Dovetail Electric Aviation. “The big issue is energy, and that’s why we focus on developing that technology, advanced batteries. There’s a lot of potential there. It is true that with batteries alone, you won’t cross the ocean, but yet, there are many things that we can do. I agree that Sydney to Brisbane will be a stretch, but Sydney to Canberra – come on. I mean, we can do that. Maybe not full electric, but with electric propulsion systems and with a range extender – I would say that probably based on conventional fuels, even SAF and in the future, hydrogen – that’s something that we could do in a very short term, right?”
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