SAF Mandated and In Action as of January 1st

2025 has already gotten off on a fantastic foot for the travel industry, as Aviation Minister, Mike Kane, has confirmed that SAF has been mandated as of the first of January this year! 

This means that from the first of January (yesterday) Sustainable Aviation Fuel (SAF) will be used by flights leaving the UK and for the foreseeable future. The Department for Transport (DfT) has claimed that flights will be greener from here on out, kicking off the New Year with a big step in the right direction.  

According to the mandate issued, SAF must now make up at least 2% of all aviation fuel used by flights taking off from the UK this year. In 2030, this will rise to 6%, followed by 20% in 2035.  

This will include the first set of SAFs, consisting of used cooking oil or household waste, which are calculated to reduce the carbon emissions of these flights by up to 70% in comparison with the commonly used jet fuels of present.  

This mandate means that around 1.2 million tons of SAF will be required up until 2030 alone. Currently, however, there is only one plant creating these fuels. Despite this, the UK government is hoping that this development will also create many more jobs for people across the country, as well as making the UK a cleaner source of energy.  

The aviation minister commented on this and said, “Today marks a significant milestone for the UK SAF industry. From this moment on, aviation will be a greener, more sustainable form of travel. 

“With thousands of jobs supporting the UK SAF industry and flying becoming popular than ever, the mandate will help deliver our Plan for Change, helping to grow the economy and giving people the freedom to travel in a more sustainable way.” 

Tim Alderslade, chief of Airlines UK, also said, “Our priority is ensuring airlines have access to the increasing volumes of SAF required to meet the mandate at the most competitive price possible as global demand soars.” 

He also added, “The UK mandate is ambitious and scaling SAF production will mean work to expand eligible feedstocks, incentives to help cut costs and, critically, ensuring the design of the [promised] revenue certainty mechanism enables the UK to increase production of advanced fuels whilst keeping costs as low as possible.” 

Duncan McCourt, chief executive of the Sustainable Aviation industry coalition, said this development would “drive the demand needed to help deliver SAF at scale”. 

“SAF is a critical component in the industry’s plan to reach Net Zero, representing almost 40% of the carbon reduction that will make net zero a reality in 2050,” he argued.  

“We need a well-designed revenue certainty mechanism to help accelerate domestic SAF production and support compliance with the mandate, kickstarting UK SAF production in earnest.” 

The government was enthusiastic about the development of SAF but claimed this is just one step on the journey towards reduced carbon emissions in aviation. They are hoping to attract more investment in the project over the next few years, to boost production and refinement.  

So, if you’d like to stay up to date in travel, and want to know more about how your business can continue to grow, why not get in touch? When you get in touch with our expert team by calling 0207 190 9988 or emailing hellopts@protectedtrustservices.com, you’re unlocking all the tools your business needs to thrive.