London’s Heathrow Airport is increasing its Sustainable Aviation Fuel (SAF) incentive scheme in 2026, setting a new target of 5.6% SAF uplift in 2026.
It means that up to 5.6% of all aviation fuel used at Heathrow will be SAF. That equates to around 350,000 tonnes. The percentage amount is also 2% above the UK mandate of 3.6% SAF.
Heathrow is aiming to progressively increase the uplift of SAF to make up 11% of fuel uplifted at Heathrow by 2030, going beyond the Government mandate of 10% across the UK by 2030.
The overall push is being backed by a fresh £80m support fund for airlines. 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 New York-JFK.
Matt Gorman, Heathrow’s Director of Sustainability, said: “Sustainable Aviation Fuel is not a hypothetical concept for the future, it’s already producing real impact in 2026. Heathrow is leading the way globally, with 17% of the world’s SAF supply in 2024 used at the airport. SAF is a key lever on aviation’s journey to net zero by 2050, and a key element of Heathrow’s Net Zero Plan. Our incentive delivers real progress today, as well as a future promise for tomorrow.”
