As part of the Türkiye Sustainable Aviation Platform Opening Ceremony, we had a brief interview with Managing Director and Country Executive for Boeing Turkey, Ayşem Sargın, on the importance of the platform for Boeing and the Turkish Aviation Industry.

Aviation Turkey: First of all, what is the importance of this platform? What contributions and gains will it have for both Boeing and the Turkish Aviation Sector? Secondly, Mr. Brian (Moran) mentioned that Boeing had identified four strategic areas, including Transition to Renewable Energy, Advanced Technologies, Operational Efficiency, and Fleet Renewal, to achieve net zero carbon emissions by 2050. What kind of business potential is there with Türkiye in these areas? Does Boeing collaborate with local companies on SAF (Sustainable Aviation Fuel)? Do you have any ongoing infrastructure projects in this regard?

Ayşem Sargın: With the agreement we have signed, we have made a significant beginning. İstanbul Technical University is an exemplary partner with whom we have been developing successful projects for many years. We even have technology development projects that we have brought to the patent stage in collaboration with İstanbul Technical University. Turkish Airlines, again, is one of our biggest business partners in Türkiye, and we take pride in its rapid growth. We wanted to establish this platform to assess together the impact of aviation emissions in Türkiye in the coming period. Let us discuss what measures we can take together to minimize these emissions, create awareness in this regard, and produce solutions. Let us make plans. As you know, planning is the beginning of everything. We can only do this if we bring together the industry stakeholders. As you saw in Brian's (Moran) presentation, this is a global goal and can only be achieved as a team. Because when we talk about sustainability in aviation, it is not just about airlines; it is not just about the industry. There are also airports. We all contribute from different sides to the aviation industry's carbon emissions. Let us come together and discuss how we can minimize them. Let us organize training programs for this. There will be different educational programs for children, youth, and professionals… 

Aviation Turkey: Could you provide more information about the education aspect? Who will İstanbul Technical University give this education to? Will it be available for pilots and other industry workers as well? 

Ayşem Sargın:Our goal here is to create awareness about the impact of aviation on sustainability, primarily targeting children and youth. But beyond that, it is also essential for professionals to receive this education. For example, airline personnel need to receive this education or for airport employees to understand what they are doing regarding waste management. We even have exhibitions in mind.

İTÜ will contribute to the development and delivery of these trainings. Furthermore, we intend to establish a roadmap for sustainable aviation fuel in Türkiye. There are certain resources available, and Turkish Airlines has made commitments in this regard. In the coming period, through their collaboration, we need to bring together all stakeholders in Türkiye to determine what can be done in this area. We believe that, as Boeing, we have committed to having all our aircraft fly with 100% sustainable aviation fuel by 2030. And to achieve this, we need partners.

Aviation Turkey: Have you set a timetable for this?

Ayşem Sargın:We have project timelines in the background, of course. Hopefully, we will inform all of you about this soon. But overall, what we want to do is for Türkiye to take steps on this path. Let us make these steps more visible globally. And let us achieve Türkiye’s goals by coming together and collaborating. That is our objective.