Heathrow boosts 2026 Sustainable Aviation Fuel incentive to exceed government mandate by 2%

Heathrow Airport is scaling up its industry-leading carbon reduction programme for a fifth consecutive year, setting a 2026 target to go 2 percentage points beyond the United Kingdom’s 3.6% Sustainable Aviation Fuel (SAF) mandate. Taken together, this would see up to 5.6% of all jet fuel used at Heathrow come from SAF in 2026—equating to around 350,000 tonnes—and is supported by more than £80 million of funding to help airlines make the switch.

SAF is a lower-carbon alternative to fossil kerosene that can be made from a range of feedstocks. On a lifecycle basis, it can reduce carbon emissions by about 70% on average compared with conventional jet fuel. Heathrow’s incentive scheme is designed to narrow roughly half of the price gap between SAF and kerosene, improving commercial viability for airlines and accelerating real-world deployment.

The planned SAF uplift in 2026 has the potential to cut carbon emissions by approximately 600,000 tonnes. That saving is broadly comparable to the emissions from more than 950,000 economy-class passengers flying round-trip between Heathrow and New York’s JFK.

Looking ahead, Heathrow aims to increase the share of SAF uplift to 11% by 2030, outpacing the UK-wide mandate of 10% for the same year. The airport frames this growth trajectory as a vital part of aviation’s pathway to net zero by 2050 and a core element of its own Net Zero Plan.

Heathrow notes that SAF is already delivering tangible benefits, not just future potential. According to the airport, 17% of the world’s SAF supply in 2024 was used at Heathrow—underscoring both the scale of its operations and the impact of its incentive on market uptake.

Key points at a glance:

• 2026 target: up to 5.6% of Heathrow’s jet fuel from SAF, exceeding the UK mandate by 2 percentage points.
• Volume: around 350,000 tonnes of SAF in 2026, backed by more than £80 million to support airlines.
• Emissions impact: potential reduction of roughly 600,000 tonnes of carbon in 2026.
• 2030 ambition: 11% SAF share at Heathrow, surpassing the national 10% requirement.

By continuing to scale its SAF programme, Heathrow aims to send a strong market signal that stimulates supply growth, reduces costs over time, and accelerates the aviation sector’s transition to lower-carbon operations. The 2026 step-up is designed to deliver measurable emissions reductions now while laying the groundwork for more widespread SAF adoption through the decade.