ENAC and PACTA focus on an observatory for the jet fuel supply chain
ENAC and the PACTA Foundation propose the establishment of a permanent observatory on the air transport supply chain, designed as a tool for analysis, comparison and support for the competent institutions in an increasingly complex international scenario. The initiative was born on the proposal of Pierluigi Di Palma, President of the National Civil Aviation Authority and of the Institutional Committee of the PACTA Foundation - Pact for the decarbonization of air transport.
The proposal is part of a context marked by tensions in the Middle East and their repercussions on energy. Although there are currently no immediate critical issues in Italian airports, ENAC and the PACTA Foundation believe it is appropriate to provide the sector with a stable presence, capable of analysing the main steps in the jet fuel chain in a preventive way: production, procurement, transport, logistics, storage, distribution and refuelling at airports.
The observatory would be set up at the PACTA Foundation, identified as the natural location of the initiative for its function as an independent platform for discussion between institutions, operators and stakeholders in the sector. Founded in 2022, the Foundation brings together different components of the air transport supply chain and works to promote dialogue on decarbonisation, innovation and sustainability in the sector.
The new body would be based on the contribution of the 19 realities belonging to PACTA, with a structured opening also to subjects external to the Foundation. In fact, third-party organizations may also be invited to the meetings of the observatory, on ENAC's recommendation, with the aim of ensuring a broad, representative and complete discussion on the dynamics of the supply chain.
The main function of the observatory will be to analyze the overall robustness of the air transport supply chain, identifying any critical points and monitoring the logistical dynamics related to the supply of fuel. The oversight will also contribute to the identification of useful measures to strengthen the resilience of the sector, accompanying the evolution towards safer and more sustainable supply models.
In the event of particularly critical situations, the observatory could also take on a role of operational coordination and timely discussion between the actors involved, promoting a shared line of communication and a unified point of view in support of ENAC and institutional stakeholders.
The proposal is consistent with the Italian regulatory framework on emergency oil stocks, governed by Legislative Decree no. 249/2012, which established the Italian Central Storage Body - OCSIT, entrusted to Acquirente Unico S.p.A. under the supervision of the Ministry of the Environment and Energy Security. In this context, the new observatory would have a complementary and independent function, with a specific focus on the needs of air transport and the jet fuel supply chain.
Alongside the monitoring of security of supply, the PACTA Foundation will continue to promote discussion on alternative solutions to conventional fuel, with particular attention to Sustainable Aviation Fuels - SAF and innovative technologies. The goal is to increasingly integrate energy security and decarbonization, two dimensions that are now central to the future of air transport.
