The aviation industry's focus on greener solutions has shifted towards Sustainable Aviation Fuels (SAF) as a more immediate alternative, surpassing the once-promising hydrogen technology. While hydrogen-powered flights face delays, SAF benefits from existing technology, infrastructure, and regulatory support, making it a practical choice to reduce carbon emissions. Recent research highlights SAF's critical role in sustainability, emphasizing its effectiveness in the short term compared to hydrogen. Government initiatives like the Synthetic Aviation Fuel Grand Challenge in the U.S. aim to accelerate SAF adoption by addressing production and technological barriers. Despite its advantages, challenges like economic costs and ecological concerns pose hurdles to SAF's widespread adoption. It is crucial to develop innovative policies and technologies to ensure SAF production remains economically viable and ecologically sustainable. While SAF leads the way in greening aviation for now, a zero-carbon future necessitates ongoing investments in technologies such as hydrogen, underscoring the importance of government support and innovation in achieving sustainable aviation.