The Department for Transport (DfT) has announced progress on the UK's Sustainable Aviation Fuel (SAF) sector through a parliamentary statement delivered by Transport Minister Heidi Alexander on 28 April 2025.
The statement outlines how SAF is crucial to achieving net zero aviation by 2050, noting that these fuels reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 70% compared to conventional kerosene when measured across their full lifecycle. 
The upadte comes at a time where emissions from European aviation have almost bounced back to 2019 levels according to a recent report published by T&E.
According to the report, in 2024 the European aviation sector almost fully bounced back to pre-COVID levels, reaching 96% of 2019 flight numbers and 98% of emissions.
The study also shows that ten airlines were responsible for 40% of all European aviation emissions, the top polluters being Ryanair (16 Mt CO2), Lufthansa (10 Mt CO2) and British Airways (9 Mt CO2).
Over 8.4 million flights departed from European airports last year, generating 187.6 Mt of CO₂, the report claims.
T&E stated when it comes to intra-European flights, pre-COVID emissions levels have been surpassed, with extra-European flights on a similar trajectory.
Krisztina Hencz, Aviation Policy Manager at T&E believes aviation emissions are spiralling out of control.
Krisztina said: “To add insult to injury, the sector continues to dodge the true cost of its pollution, making a mockery of airlines’ pledges to build back greener after COVID.
“If Europe continues down this path, ‘green’ aviation will remain a figment of people’s imaginations.
“Next year’s review of EU carbon markets is a chance to rectify a loophole in the current legislation and ensure airlines pay for the true cost of their pollution.”
Britain’s upadte now the SAF Mandate is in effect
The government has confirmed that the SAF Mandate, which was signed into law in November 2024, has been operational since January 2025.
The mandate requires UK fuel suppliers to incorporate an increasing proportion of sustainable aviation fuels into their supply, starting at 2% of total jet fuel demand this year. This figure will rise linearly to 10% by 2030 and 22% by 2040.
Under the mechanism, suppliers receive certificates for SAF they provide, with greater certificates awarded for fuels delivering higher greenhouse gas emission reductions.
The government estimates this initiative could deliver carbon savings of up to 6.3 million tonnes annually by 2040.
New Revenue Certainty Mechanism
A key development is the introduction of a revenue certainty mechanism designed to attract investment into UK SAF production.
This will operate through private law contracts between SAF producers and a government-backed counterparty, establishing a strike price for sustainable aviation fuel.
The system will provide financial stability for producers but if market prices fall below the strike price, the counterparty will pay the difference, conversely, if prices exceed the strike price, producers will pay the difference to the counterparty.
The government has committed to introducing legislation for this mechanism during the current parliamentary session, with plans to have it fully implemented by the end of 2026.
Investment in production
In January, the government announced an additional £63 million for the Advanced Fuels Fund, extending the grant funding programme for UK SAF production by another year.
According to the statement, the SAF sector could support up to 15,000 jobs and contribute £5 billion in gross value added to the UK economy by 2050 through low carbon fuel production for both domestic and international markets.
The government believes these measures, alongside its modern industrial strategy, will create a foundation for significant growth and investment in sustainable aviation.