UK Sustainable Aviation Fuel Mandate Shows Early Progress but Falls Slightly Short of 2025 Target
The UK has set ambitious Sustainable Aviation Fuel (SAF) mandates, aiming for 2% SAF use by 2025, increasing to 10% by 2030 and 22% by 2040. Provisional data for 2025 indicate that SAF accounted for approximately 1.6% of UK jet fuel consumption, equating to about 160 million litres, which is 20% below the 2% target.
In total, around 10 billion litres of jet fuel were burned on UK flights up to early October 2025. All SAF used so far has been derived from recycled cooking oil sourced from Asia, mainly China. The Department for Transport (DfT) notes these figures are provisional as verification and full supplier reporting are still underway. Finalized 2025 statistics are expected in November 2026.
The UK government regards SAF as the most significant opportunity to decarbonize aviation. Legislation currently progressing through the House of Lords aims to establish a mechanism providing revenue certainty for SAF producers. Additionally, Heathrow Airport's expansion policy remains conditioned on meeting four climate-related tests, including reducing the airport's climate impact. Heathrow has implemented an incentive scheme targeting 3% SAF usage in 2025.
Globally, the International Air Transport Association (IATA) reports that SAF accounted for 0.6% of total jet fuel in 2025 and projects a modest increase to 0.8% in 2026, highlighting calls for incentives to boost production. The UK industry body Sustainable Aviation remains confident that the UK's SAF mandate will be met and expects SAF usage to continue rising in the coming years.
