Heathrow boosts 2026 Sustainable Aviation Fuel (SAF) incentive to fly 2% above Government mandate
• Heathrow is increasing its Sustainable Aviation Fuel (SAF) incentive scheme in 2026, setting a new target going 2% above the UK mandate - aiming for 5.6% SAF uplift in 2026.
• Over £80 million is 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.
• This investment is designed to unlock higher levels of SAF use across the airport, building on Heathrow’s position as a global leader in SAF.
Heathrow is stepping up its industry-leading carbon-cutting 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, equating to around 350,000 tonnes1, backed by over £80 million of support for airlines in 2026.
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%2 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, the equivalent of more than 950,000 economy class passengers round trips from Heathrow to JFK3. (....)