How biofuels could take off

Purpose - The purpose of this paper is to shed light on the biofuels debate in air transport. Design/methodology/approach - The controversies about biofuels sustainability in general and research findings on biofuels are complemented by the specific circumstances the aviation industry encounters in its attempt to become more sustainable. The author's corporate affiliation allows for insights from an airline's perspective and experience with biojet fuel. Findings - The paper highlights accountability and accounting advances required by the aviation industry as well as further stakeholders to safeguard sustainability of biofuels. Research limitations/implications - The paper provides a viewpoint taking account of research findings but written from a corporate perspective. The intention is not to provide a complete review of the growing academic literature in the biofuels field, nor to elaborate on the entire array of challenges in practice. Originality/value - The paper integrates macro‐level societal limitations for sustainable biofuel feedstock production with micro and meso‐level corporate and industry perspectives on sustainable biofuels.