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The ALTA FUEL & ENVIRONMENT CONFERENCE 2023 will address the most pressing industry issues

Over 150 industry executives specializing in fuels and environment bring together in Costa Rica

March 29, 2023

ALTA NEWS - The ALTA FUEL & ENVIRONMENT CONFERENCE 2023 will address the most pressing industry issues

San José, March 29, 2023 – Addressing the impact of high aviation fuel prices, an input that currently represents 50% of the cost structure of airlines, in addition to encouraging clear, efficient and sustainable regulations for the deployment of SAF is among the topics to be discussed at the ALTA FUEL & ENVIRONMENT CONFERENCE 2023, an event to be held in San José, Costa Rica, on March 29 and 30.

 

The headquarters of the Inter-American Institute for Cooperation on Agriculture (IICA), a body member of the Organization of American States (OAS), will be the venue for this two-day conference, which will bring together over 150 industry executives specializing in fuels and environment, who will share academic presentations, panel discussions and working groups.

 

The opening ceremony will be attended by Juan Manuel Quesada, President of Refinadora Costarricense de Petróleo (RECOPE), Fernando Naranjo, Head of the General Directorate for Civil Aviation (DGAC), Manuel Otero, General Director of the Inter-American Institute for Cooperation on Agriculture (IICA), as well as Alberto López, General Director of the Costa Rican Tourism Institute (ICT) and José Ricardo Botelho, Executive Director & CEO of the Latin American and Caribbean Air Transport Association (ALTA).

 

ALTA's CEO highlights the importance of being in Costa Rica for this first edition of the event: "Costa Rica is a world leader for its environmental policies and achievements, which have allowed the country to build its Green Brand. Currently, it is the only tropical country in the world that has reversed deforestation, according to the World Bank. However, this beautiful nation, like other countries in Latin America and Caribbean, is not immune to the inflationary context and turbulences that impact most economic activities. Being diligent in the pursuit of competitiveness, now more than ever, is a pressing task, especially if we want to achieve our goal of making aviation a carbon neutral industry by 2050 and reverse climate change, which is the biggest threat we face with a potential impact even greater than the pandemic, because it threatens the long-term sustainability of this industry."

 

ALTA's CEO stresses that one of the most pressing needs of Latin America and Caribbean (LAC) is to provide transparent, clear and efficient public policies, which should be standardized and harmonized to attract more investors and take advantage of the great potential of the region to produce and supply SAF to the local industry and even export biofuels to other latitudes.

 

"Our region has all the necessary raw materials to lead this production on the planet. Our industry, while responsible for only 2.5% of emissions, is 100% involved and committed to finding solutions. Engines change, efficiency increases, each of ALTA's members study better operating conditions, carbon off set, circular economy and so many other things", the CEO expresses.

 

Fostering the right regulatory environment will allow the deployment of SAF production and distribution in the region and, consequently, face the second major challenge: costs.

 

"To achieve the NETZERO goal, aviation must source a range of measures, roughly 65% of which corresponds to the extensive use of sustainable fuels. But we face a major challenge: costs. According to S&P Global Commodity Insights, on March 20, 2023 SAF was 2.3 times more expensive than regular fuel. This differential has been reduced. In 2021, SAF was 3.3 times more expensive than regular fuel and, as developments continue to incentivize its large-scale production of SAF, we expect to see further reductions in unit prices. By 2050, the industry will require an annual production of 449 billion liters to supply itself."

 

 

“Additional costs cannot fall on the industry that continues to be hit by the effects of the pandemic and that has made extraordinary efforts to maintain an essential service without financial support. Therefore, achieving environmental objectives is and will continue to be everyone's job, industry, governments and users”, points out Botelho.

 

Among the topics on the agenda for the ALTA FUEL & ENVIRONMENT CONFERENCE 2023 will be a comprehensive presentation on SAF public policy and investment opportunities, a panel on SAF public policy and investment opportunities in the region, as well as a presentation on the sustainable aviation value chain ecosystem in Costa Rica and passenger compensation alternatives, the use and implementation of new technologies, and an update on the aviation fuel market.

 


About ALTA

ALTA is a private non-profit association serving the airline industry whose objective is to develop a safer, more efficient, and sustainable aviation in Latin America and the Caribbean. ALTA coordinates collaborative efforts throughout the entire value chain maximizing the impact that aviation has on the economic and social growth of the region for the benefit of industry, nations, and populations served by air transport.
www.alta.aero

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Liliam Rezende Possa

Brazil Communications Consultant

Mauricio Castillo

Head of Aviation Technology, Cyber and Fraud Prevention

Mauricio is an Electronic and Telecommunications Engineer from San Francisco University in Ecuador. He counts with more than 12 years of experience in the implementation of technology projects for New Quito International Airport and Itau Bank in Brazil. Mauricio brings his experience as Customer Service Manager and Business Development Manager for the Passenger Solution Line at SITA, where he implemented Reservations, Ticketing, Departure Control Systems and E-commerce Airlines projects.

Claudio Terry

Head of Cargo & Security
Claudio holds a postgraduate degree in Production Engineering from the Brazilian National Institute of Technology and a degree in Foreign Trade from UNESA.
With an extensive career of more than 30 years in the aviation industry, among his past positions, he worked as: Logistics Project Manager at VARIGLOG, Head of Cargo at AVIANCA Brazil, Manager of Cargo Campaigns at IATA in Brazil, Safety Manager at GRUAIRPORT, Business Manager at Air Cargo and Airline Marketing at Regional Airports of the Brazilian Foreign Trade Company (CBCE).  On his last job, he worked as logistics operator consultant for the setup and certification of a new cargo airline.
Regarding hazardous materials, Claudio has been an expert and worked as an advisor for the Brazilian government on the UN and ICAO dangerous goods panel in the early 2000.

Nathália Neves

Communications Support Brazil

Jornalista com 16 anos de experiência em conteúdo online, impresso, social media, emissoras de televisão, produção de eventos, gerenciamento de crise e assessoria de imprensa.

Com MBA em Gestão Estratégica da Comunicação Corporativa – Marketing, pela Fundação Getúlio Vargas, Nathália Neves já atendeu clientes como: Governo Federal brasileiro, Shopping Iguatemi, LG Electronics, Metalock® Brasil, Unimed, Usiminas, C&A, Peixe Urbano, Drogaria Rosário, Brasal Refrigerantes, Natura, Anefac, Câmara de Comércio Suíça (Swisscam), Associação Nacional de Farmacêuticos Magistrais (Anfarmag) e outros.

Além da experiência em comunicação corporativa, também exerceu como produtora na TV Record e TV Brasil na cobertura do Congresso Nacional.

Nathália Neves

Communications Support Brazil

Periodista con 16 años de experiencia en contenidos en línea, prensa escrita, medios sociales, cadenas de televisión, producción de eventos, gestión de crisis y relaciones con la prensa.

Con un MBA en Gestión Estratégica de Comunicación Corporativa – Marketing por la Fundação Getúlio Vargas, Nathália Neves ha trabajado con clientes como: Gobierno Federal Brasileño, Shopping Iguatemi, LG Electronics, Metalock® Brasil, Unimed, Usiminas, C&A, Peixe Urbano, Drogaria Rosário, Brasal Refrigerantes, Natura, Anefac, Swisscam, Associação Nacional de Farmacêuticos Magistrais (Anfarmag) y otros.

Además de experiencia en comunicación corporativa, también trabajó como productora en TV Record y TV Brasil en la cobertura del Congreso Nacional.

Nathália Neves

Communications Support Brazil

A journalist with 16 years of experience in online content, print, social media, television stations, event production, crisis management, and press relations.

With an MBA in Strategic Management of Corporate Communication – Marketing from Fundação Getúlio Vargas, Nathália Neves has served clients such as the Brazilian Federal Government, Iguatemi Shopping, LG Electronics, Metalock® Brazil, Unimed, Usiminas, C&A, Peixe Urbano, Drogaria Rosário, Brasal Refrigerantes, Natura, Anefac, Swisscam, National Association of Magistral Pharmacists (Anfarmag) and others.

In addition to experience in corporate communication, she also worked as a producer at TV Record and TV Brasil in the coverage of the National Congress.

Santiago Valencia

Head of Maintenance and Technical Purchase

Santiago é Engenheiro Industrial e Especialista em Negociação pela Universidad de los Andes em Bogotá, Colômbia e tem ampla experiência no mercado de aviação comercial, particularmente em Manutenção e Abastecimento Estratégico Aeronáutico. Durante nove anos ele ocupou vários cargos na Avianca, tornando-se Gerente de Suprimentos Estratégicos. Lá ele teve a oportunidade de participar da negociação de vários contratos estratégicos para a empresa aérea durante o processo de reestruturação pós-pandêmica. Ele complementa sua formação aeronáutica com mais de dezesseis anos de experiência em artes cênicas, bem como um interesse em projetos sociais e ambientais na América Latina.

Santiago Valencia

Head of Maintenance and Technical Purchase

Santiago es Ingeniero Industrial y Especialista en Negociación de la Universidad de Los Andes en Bogotá, Colombia. Cuenta con amplia experiencia en el mercado de la aviación comercial, particularmente en Mantenimiento y Abastecimiento Estratégico Aeronáutico. Durante nueve años ocupó diversos cargos en Avianca, y llegó a ser Gerente de Abastecimiento Estratégico. Allí tuvo la oportunidad de participar en la negociación de varios contratos estratégicos para la aerolínea durante el proceso de reestructuración post pandemia. Complementa su formación en aviación con más de dieciséis años de experiencia en las artes escénicas, así como su interés por proyectos sociales y medioambientales en Latinoamérica.

Santiago Valencia

Head of Maintenance and Technical Purchase

Santiago is an Industrial Engineer and Specialist in Negotiation from the Universidad de los Andes in Bogotá, Colombia and has extensive experience in the commercial aviation market, particularly in Maintenance and Strategic Aeronautical Supply. For nine years he held various positions at Avianca, becoming Strategic Supply Manager. There he had the opportunity to participate in the negotiation of various strategic contracts for the airline during the post-pandemic restructuring process. He complements his aviation background with more than sixteen years of experience in the performing arts, as well as an interest in social and environmental projects in Latin America.