Heathrow Expands SAF Incentive to Exceed UK Mandate in 2026

London Heathrow Airport has announced an expansion of its Sustainable Aviation Fuel incentive programme for 2026, committing to go two percentage points above the UK Government’s SAF mandate.

The airport is targeting a total SAF uplift of 5.6 percent in 2026, compared with the national mandate of 3.6 percent. To support this increase, Heathrow will make more than £80 million available to airlines to help narrow the cost gap between conventional kerosene and lower carbon alternatives.

 

Targeting 5.6 Percent SAF Uplift

 

If the 5.6 percent target is achieved, approximately 350,000 tonnes of aviation fuel used at Heathrow in 2026 would be Sustainable Aviation Fuel. Heathrow’s additional two percent incentive above the UK mandate equates to roughly 124,000 tonnes of SAF.

According to the airport, this level of uptake could reduce carbon emissions by around 600,000 tonnes in 2026. Using ICAO emissions estimates, that saving is comparable to more than 950,000 economy class round trips between London Heathrow and New York JFK.

Sustainable Aviation Fuel can be produced from a range of feedstocks and, on average, delivers lifecycle greenhouse gas emissions reductions of more than 70 percent compared with traditional fossil based jet fuel, based on UK Government guidance.

 

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Bridging the Cost Gap for Airlines

 

SAF remains significantly more expensive than conventional kerosene. Heathrow’s incentive scheme is designed to reduce this differential by covering roughly half of the price gap, improving the commercial case for airlines to increase SAF usage.

The 2026 programme marks the fifth consecutive year of Heathrow’s SAF support scheme. The airport stated that 17 percent of global SAF supply in 2024 was used at Heathrow, positioning it as one of the largest single users worldwide.

Matt Gorman, Director of Sustainability at Heathrow, said that SAF is already delivering measurable carbon reductions and remains central to aviation’s pathway toward net zero by 2050.

 

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Long Term Ambition to Reach 11 Percent by 2030

 

Looking beyond 2026, Heathrow aims for SAF to account for 11 percent of total fuel uplifted at the airport by 2030. This would exceed the UK Government’s national SAF mandate of 10 percent by 2030.

The announcement comes as aviation faces growing regulatory and investor scrutiny over decarbonisation pathways. While operational efficiencies and aircraft technology improvements remain important, SAF is widely viewed as the primary near term lever to reduce lifecycle emissions from long haul flights where electrification and hydrogen solutions remain limited.

By increasing financial support for airlines and setting targets above national requirements, Heathrow is positioning itself as a testing ground for higher SAF adoption rates within a major international hub.