Heathrow, Gatwick, Manchester, and Stansted airports are spearheading a new initiative aimed at scaling up domestic production of sustainable aviation fuel (SAF). The leaders of these four UK air transport hubs have become the first signatories of the “Back British SAF” campaign and are now calling on other industry stakeholders to join their efforts. They emphasize that establishing a British SAF industry could generate £1.8 billion for the economy by 2030 and create 60,000 jobs by 2050.
Gatwick’s CEO, Stewart Wingate, stated, “We are collaborating across the aviation sector to enhance both the demand and supply of SAF. Our fueling infrastructure is ready for SAF, but airlines face challenges due to its limited availability. We urge the government to partner with industry leaders to incentivize increased domestic SAF production.”
The “Back British SAF” campaign was initiated by RISE, a coalition comprising 13 UK airlines, airports, and fuel producers, in response to new legislation aimed at securing essential investments for the development of the UK’s SAF industry.
A spokesperson for RISE noted, “The production of SAF is one of the fastest-growing sectors globally, and demand is expected to soon surpass supply. The US, EU, and countries in the Middle East and Asia Pacific are already taking significant steps to attract SAF investors. We must act swiftly to avoid falling behind.”
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With the UK targeting the construction of five SAF plants by next year, the campaign is urging the government to expedite the SAF Revenue Support Mechanism Bill, which would mitigate the risks associated with uncertain revenues and attract investment to UK SAF projects.
The British government plans to introduce a SAF mandate in January 2025, starting at 2% of total UK jet fuel demand and progressively increasing to 10% by 2030 and 22% by 2040. However, there is currently no timeline for the implementation of the revenue support mechanism.
Heathrow’s CEO, Thomas Woldbye, reiterated the airport’s commitment to achieving 11% SAF use by 2030, emphasizing the importance of domestic production to meet this target. “Our SAF incentive scheme at Heathrow has demonstrated that effective price mechanisms exist, and we urge the government to expedite the SAF bill to ensure the UK can benefit from the jobs, growth, and energy security a homegrown SAF industry would provide.”
Manchester CEO Ken O’Toole added, “Implementing the SAF revenue support mechanism into law as soon as possible would give investors the confidence needed to build a robust, homegrown SAF industry in the UK, creating thousands of jobs and securing an affordable future for air travel.”
