Heathrow expands SAF incentive for fifth consecutive year

Heathrow Airport, British Airways Airbus A380 engine, Feb 2015

Heathrow Airport said it will extend its sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) incentive scheme for the fifth year in a row announcing a £80m for airlines in 2026 which could see up to 5.6% of aviation fuel used during the year.

The airport operator said it is stepping up its programme for a fifth consecutive year with an ambitious target to go 2% beyond the UK’s 3.6% SAF mandate in 2026. Combined, this would see up to 5.6% of all aviation fuel used at Heathrow to be SAF.

Commenting on the development, Oxford-based SAF startup OXCCU CEO Andrew Symes said: “It is very encouraging to see Heathrow choose to go beyond the UK SAF mandate. The mandate provides an important standard for the market, but leadership from major hubs like Heathrow helps translate policy into real momentum.”

“If airports and airlines are prepared to increase SAF uptake ahead of requirements, it strengthens the case for scaling domestic production. The UK has world class technology and strong capability in sustainable fuels, but we now need to move quickly to deliver at commercial scale. Seeing Heathrow actively support higher SAF uptake is a positive signal for the whole ecosystem. It shows the industry understands that decarbonisation and growth must go hand in hand.”

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.

Heathrow is aiming to progressively increase the uplift of SAF to make up 11% of fuel uplifted at Heathrow by 2030, going beyond the Government mandate of 10% across the UK by 2030.

“SAF 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. 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,” said Matt Gorman, director of sustainability at Heathrow.