Sustainable Aviation Fuel, What’s Needed to Make SAF Fly?

Decarbonising aviation is our industry’s greatest challenge, and without policy support, we risk falling short of our net zero targets. Sustainable Aviation Fuel (SAF) is the only viable solution available today to reduce emissions from long-haul flights, yet global production remains critically low - currently insufficient to power the world’s airlines for even a single day. Achieving the UK’s 2030 SAF target will require producing 1.2 million tonnes of SAF annually for the aviation industry - almost 20 times the UK’s estimated production of 64,000 tonnes in 2023, according to the International Air Transport Association (IATA).

To meet the UK’s goal of 10% SAF use by 2030, the industry identified the need for a Revenue Certainty Mechanism (RCM) to drive investment and scale domestic production. IAG determined that an RCM was essential to attract investors, establish UK SAF plants, and reduce reliance on imports. The absence of an RCM deters investors from funding SAF production facilities and results in airlines importing SAF from the US and other international markets. The US already had the Inflation Reduction Act (an incentive providing tax credits for SAF production) in place and with no similar mechanism the UK is slipping behind. Alongside partners Airlines UK and Sustainable Aviation, the campaign focused on rallying government, industry and media behind the importance of policy support to incentivise domestic SAF production and reduce aviation’s reliance on fossil fuels.