Heathrow targets 5.6% SAF mix for 2026
Heathrow, the UK and Europe’s busiest airport, has announced plans to go beyond the United Kingdom’s Sustainable Aviation Fuel (SAF) mandate, setting a goal of 5.6% fuel mix for the year ahead, 2 percentage points higher than the Government’s requirement of 3.6% for the industry[i].
SAF is an alternative to traditional fossil-based kerosene and is set to become an increasingly important element in the transition to greener aviation. Classed as a ‘low-carbon fuel’, it is created from a variety of sources including energy-crops, waste oils and fats, and municipal waste[ii], in fact it is estimated that it can cut lifecycle carbon emissions by as much as 70%
Heathrow, which is located 14 miles West of Central London, says that by uplifting SAF to 5.6% it could potentially reduce carbon emissions by around 600,000 tonnes, the equivalent of more than 950,000 economy class passenger round trips from Heathrow to JFK airport in New York, USA.
Heathrow is the UK’s only hub airport and it connects to more than 200 destinations. It serves over 200,000 passengers on roughly 1,300 flights each day. Matt Gorman, Heathrow’s Director of Sustainability, has said: “Sustainable Aviation Fuel is not a hypothetical concept for the future, it’s already producing real impact in 2026. Heathrow is leading the way globally, with 17% of the world’s SAF supply in 2024 used at the airport.”[iii]
To encourage the uptake of SAF several markets have introduced mandates, including the EU and the UK. In the latter, the SAF Mandate began in 2025 at 2% of total UK jet fuel demand and will increase linearly to 10% in 2030 and then to 22% in 2040. From 2040 onwards, the obligation will remain at 22% of total UK jet fuel demand until there is greater certainty regarding SAF supply[iv]. The UK Government states that the SAF Mandate could deliver up to 6.3 megatonnes of carbon savings per year by 2040.
To encourage uptake, Heathrow has said that it will make more than £80 million available to airlines to help bridge the cost gap between traditional kerosene and SAF, enabling a switch to cleaner fuels and significant carbon savings from flights. Heathrow has also set a longer-term goal of increasing SAF to 11% of total fuel uplifted at the airport by 2030.
Gorman adds: “SAF is a key lever on aviation’s journey to net zero by 2050, and a key element of Heathrow's Net Zero Plan. Our incentive delivers real progress today, as well as a future promise for tomorrow.”[v]
References
[i] Heathrow boosts 2026 Sustainable Aviation Fuel (SAF) incentive to fly 2% above Government mandate
[iii] Ibid
[iv] https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/sustainable-aviation-fuel-saf-mandate
[v] Ibid
