Environmental sustainability and decarbonisation in aviation maintenance took centre stage at the African MRO Conference, where industry stakeholders outlined practical pathways to reduce emissions across Africa’s maintenance, repair and overhaul (MRO) value chain.
The panel discussion, “Green Maintenance: Decarbonising the African MRO Value Chain”, brought together perspectives from airlines, OEMs, industry bodies and global associations, highlighting both the urgency and complexity of embedding sustainability into African aviation operations.
A consistent message was that decarbonisation cannot be addressed in isolation. It requires coordinated action across the entire ecosystem, including airlines, MROs, manufacturers, regulators, fuel suppliers, airports and air navigation service providers.
Africa’s aviation growth trajectory was identified as a key opportunity. With the global MRO market projected to grow significantly by 2040 and the continent expected to require tens of thousands of skilled technicians, speakers highlighted the potential to establish a more sustainable aviation maintenance industry from the outset.
From an airline perspective, sustainability is already being embedded into core maintenance operations. Rather than being treated as standalone environmental programmes, initiatives are increasingly integrated into day-to-day MRO activities through governance frameworks, performance metrics and operational processes.
Practical examples included the use of sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) on long-haul operations, energy efficiency measures within hangars and maintenance facilities, waste reduction and recycling initiatives, digitisation of maintenance records, and the adoption of electric ground support equipment. Integrating sustainability into key performance indicators was highlighted as a crucial step in ensuring a long-term impact.
However, constraints remain. SAF, widely recognised as a key decarbonisation lever, continues to face challenges related to cost, availability, infrastructure and regulatory frameworks. It remains significantly more expensive than conventional jet fuel, and supply chains across the continent are still underdeveloped.
From a manufacturing and OEM perspective, the discussion extended beyond facilities to include aircraft design, maintenance programmes and lifecycle management. Environmental impact is increasingly being assessed across the full lifecycle of the aircraft, with growing emphasis on eco-design principles, material selection, and the reuse and recycling of components.
Supply chain engagement was also highlighted as critical, particularly in scaling sustainable practices across global operations. Structured aircraft dismantling and parts recovery programmes were identified as practical approaches to reducing waste and reintroducing usable components into the system.
At a continental level, progress is being made to align African aviation with global decarbonisation frameworks. Stakeholders pointed to ongoing efforts to support the implementation of carbon offsetting mechanisms, develop policy frameworks for SAF, and establish coordinated strategies for low-carbon aviation fuels across Africa.
Despite this, uptake of SAF across African airlines remains limited. Feedback from operators indicates that many have yet to use SAF, citing high costs, limited availability, infrastructure gaps and a lack of technical expertise.
In response, capacity building, joint procurement initiatives and collaboration with development finance institutions are being advanced to support SAF adoption and broader sustainability objectives. Financing mechanisms for fleet modernisation and the expansion of MRO capacity were also identified as key enablers.
The discussion also highlighted an emerging challenge around end-of-life aircraft management. While not yet a pressing issue due to relatively uncongested airport infrastructure, operators are increasingly focused on how to manage ageing fleets, with a need for greater capability in recycling, asset recovery and disposal processes.
A recurring theme was that maintenance-related emissions cannot be addressed solely at the airline level. Operational inefficiencies across the broader aviation system, including airspace management, airport operations and infrastructure limitations, can offset gains made through maintenance and fuel efficiency improvements.
Maintenance operations themselves present opportunities to reduce emissions through improved aircraft condition management, optimised maintenance practices, better facility design, and reduced reliance on transporting components over long distances due to limited local repair capability.
The role of passengers in decarbonisation was seen as limited, with responsibility resting largely on industry stakeholders. While passenger behaviour can contribute marginally, the primary drivers of emissions reduction lie in operational, technical and policy decisions across the aviation value chain.
The panel concluded that green maintenance is no longer a peripheral consideration. It is becoming a central component of Africa’s aviation strategy, directly linked to operational efficiency, cost management and long-term sustainability.
As African aviation continues to expand, the challenge will be to translate these strategies into coordinated, scalable action across the continent’s MRO ecosystem.
