Summary:
- Heathrow aims to exceed the UK’s Sustainable Aviation Fuel (SAF) mandate by 2%, targeting 5.6% SAF usage by 2026.
- The airport’s SAF programme is set to reduce carbon emissions by 600,000 tonnes in 2026, with over £80 million in airline support.
- Heathrow is leading global SAF uptake, with 17% of the world’s SAF supply used at the airport in 2024, supporting aviation’s net-zero goal by 2050.
Heathrow – a Corporate Partner of the FTE Digital, Innovation & Startup Hub – is stepping up its carbon-cutting programme for a fifth consecutive year with an ambitious target to go 2% beyond the UK’s 3.6% Sustainable Aviation Fuel (SAF) mandate in 2026. Combined, this would see up to 5.6% of all aviation fuel used at Heathrow be SAF, equating to around 350,000 tonnes, backed by over £80 million of support for airlines in 2026.
“Sustainable Aviation Fuel is not a hypothetical concept for the future, it’s already producing real impact in 2026,” said Heathrow Director of Sustainability Matt Gorman. “Heathrow is leading the way globally, with 17% of the world’s SAF supply in 2024 used at the airport. 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.”
SAF, a fuel alternative to traditional fossil-based kerosene, can be made from a variety of sources and can cut lifecycle carbon emissions by 70% on average. The scheme encourages airlines to switch to SAF by approximately halving the price gap between kerosene and its cleaner alternative, making SAF more commercially viable for airlines. In 2026, the SAF uplifted at Heathrow has the potential to reduce carbon emissions by around 600,000 tonnes.
Heathrow is aiming to progressively increase the uplift of SAF to make up 11% of fuel uplifted at Heathrow by 2030, going beyond the UK Government mandate of 10% across the UK by 2030.
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