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Sustainable Aviation Fuel (SAF) is an airplane fuel alternative designed to cut lifecycle carbon emissions. It is almost chemically identical to traditional jet fuel and so directly replaces fossil fuel. It can be made from a variety of sources, including different types of waste, and by combining hydrogen with captured carbon.
SAF can reduce at least 50% or more of lifecycle carbon emissions1 and potentially by 100% in future when third-generation Power-to-Liquid fuels are available (currently in small-scale production). The biggest single contribution that will help us get to Net Zero is changing airline fuel to SAF – it is projected to account for around 40% of the total carbon reductions by 20502.
In 2022, Heathrow embarked on a ground-breaking journey with the introduction of its SAF incentive programme. This initiative aligns with our commitment to reducing environmental impact and contributing to global climate goals. The scheme incentivises the use of up to 155,000 tonnes of SAF at the airport in 2024, which targets the equivalent of over 340,000 tonnes of carbon cut from flights. £71m is available to airlines to support the swap to cleaner fuels3.
Heathrow's SAF incentive programme has clear objectives:
Our primary goal of the incentive is to actively support and accelerate SAF adoption at Heathrow and throughout the aviation industry. This reinforces collective efforts to reduce carbon emissions and combat climate change.
Recognising that SAF production can incur higher costs, the incentive approximately halves the price gap between conventional jet fuel and SAF4, making SAF more affordable to airlines. The programme does this by creating a SAF incentive “pot”, funded by our aeronautical charges5. Airlines that plan to uplift SAF at Heathrow bid to this pot and receive a rebate. This bridges the cost gap between SAF and traditional fuels, making SAF more accessible and economically viable for airlines at Heathrow.
Heathrow has set an ambition to progressively increase the amount of SAF used at the airport each year, rising to 11% SAF by 2030. Ultimately, Government policy will be fundamental to achieving this ambition, alongside our incentive.
The incentive scheme plays a pivotal role in our broader strategy to reduce carbon emissions from air travel, aligning with our goal to reduce carbon emissions “in the air” by up to 15% by 2030.
We're pleased to note significant interest and participation from various airlines in our SAF programme. This industry-wide engagement highlights the critical importance of SAF in sustainable aviation.
Heathrow, in collaboration with key industry players, advocates for the widespread adoption of SAF as a key means of reducing greenhouse gas emissions. Ultimately, Government policy will be fundamental to achieving the UK’s ambition for SAF on route to Net Zero by 2050. From 2025, the UK Government’s mandate on SAF will come into law. Starting at 2% of total jet fuel uplifted in 2025 and rising to 10% by 2030. The UK Government has also proposed a revenue certainty mechanism (RCM) to stimulate a domestic SAF industry. The RCM will give investors’ confidence in their returns from early plants and encourage inward investment into the UK. The new sector will create jobs and growth opportunities in the UK, help secure a supply of SAF for UK airlines, and enhance energy security6.
As a passenger travelling through Heathrow, you can address your flight’s carbon emissions by supporting SAF through platform CHOOOSE, selecting any percentage up to 100%. The platform gives passengers the option to support SAF or certified reforestation projects regardless of their airline or end destination.
Sustainable Aviation Fuel (SAF) is increasingly recognised as a cornerstone of the aviation industry's sustainability endeavours. Its versatility allows blending with conventional jet fuel at rates of up to 50%. Leading aircraft manufacturers, such as Airbus and Boeing, have pledged to make their aircraft 100% SAF-compatible by 2030. SAF is gaining momentum as a viable and accepted alternative in aviation fuel – over 450,000 flights have taken to the skies using SAF and more than 50 airlines have experience using SAF in commercial operations globally.
On 28 November 2023, Virgin Atlantic made a historic flight from Heathrow to New York JFK. It was a world first: a transatlantic flight on a Boeing 787 with Rolls-Royce Trent 1000 engines 100% powered by SAF.
A fuel ‘feedstock’ refers to the raw material used to produce the fuel. Not all SAF feedstocks are created equal.
Heathrow's SAF incentive scheme is part of a global initiative encompassing policies and financial mechanisms that incentivise and accelerate sustainable fuel use in aviation worldwide. These collaborative global efforts are instrumental in guiding the aviation industry towards sustainability and reducing its overall carbon footprint.
The Third International Civil Aviation Organisation (ICAO) Conference on Aviation and Alternative Fuels (CAAF/3) was held in Dubai in November 2023; it was a key moment for the industry in adopting a collective goal to shift away from fossil fuels. This builds on the historic agreement in 2022 to adopt a long-term goal for international aviation of net-zero carbon emissions by 2050. The conference had two key outcomes.
A first of its kind breakfast at Heathrow, named The Fly Up, which is cooked with oil that is then cleaned and recycled into renewable biofuels, took off at Heathrow in March 2024.
The Heathrow Fly Up launched in partnership with Heston’s The Perfectionists’ Café to create awareness of Sustainable Aviation Fuel in response to only five per cent of travellers having heard of it, despite the fact it will play a key role in reducing the carbon footprint of the aviation industry.
100% of the cooking oils used to make the breakfast’s will be recycled by Quatra into clean, renewable biofuels including road fuels and/or Sustainable Aviation Fuel (SAF).
[4] The SAF Incentive is calculated by reference to reducing the premium price gap between fossil kerosene and SAF fuel by approximately 50%. For the purpose of the SAF Incentive in 2024, Heathrow has assumed the premium to be GBP 920 per tonne net of Renewable Transport Fuels Certificate (RTFC) value, so will incentivise SAF delivery to Heathrow Airport based on £460 per tonne.
[5] Referring to fees levied for aeronautical services. The SAF incentive pot is funded through NOx aeronautical charges.