The UK's ambitious plan to green its aviation sector has hit early turbulence, with official figures suggesting the first annual target for sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) use is set to be missed.
First-Year Target Set to Be Missed
Provisional data from the Department for Transport (DfT), covering most of 2025, indicates that SAF accounted for just 1.6% of the total jet fuel supplied for UK flights. This represents a significant shortfall, being 20% below the mandatory target of 2% set for the year. The mandate, which came into force in January, requires fuel suppliers to blend increasing amounts of SAF into the overall aviation fuel mix as part of efforts to cut the industry's carbon footprint.
The figures show that a little over 160 million litres (35 million gallons) of SAF was consumed out of a total of 10 billion litres of jet fuel burned by UK aviation up to early October. All of this SAF was derived from recycled cooking oil imported from Asia, with China being the predominant source.
A Steep Climb Ahead
The government's mandate outlines a sharply rising trajectory for SAF adoption. The requirement is scheduled to increase from the initial 2% in 2025 to 10% by 2030, before reaching 22% by 2040. These later targets are intended to incorporate more advanced second-generation fuels, which are considered more sustainable in the long term but are not yet produced at commercial scale.
The DfT cautioned that the published data is provisional, with final figures for 2025 not expected until November 2026. A department spokesperson stated: "These figures do not present the full picture. SAF volumes are continuously rising and not all suppliers have reported on the fuel they've supplied."
Industry Confidence Amid Global Challenges
Despite the early setback, industry representatives expressed confidence. Duncan McCourt, chief executive of the coalition Sustainable Aviation, said: "These provisional figures show the UK is using significant quantities of SAF and we remain confident that the mandate will be met and UK aviation will use increasing quantities of SAF in the years to come."
However, the challenge is not unique to the UK. The International Air Transport Association (Iata) recently warned that global SAF production growth is stalling. Worldwide, SAF is projected to supply only 0.6% of total jet fuel in 2025, rising marginally to 0.8% in 2026. Iata's Director General, Willie Walsh, criticised government mandates, urging policymakers to "learn from failure and work with the airline industry to design incentives that will work."
The UK government is pinning its hopes on legislation to stimulate investment. Aviation Minister Keir Mather highlighted the SAF bill progressing through the House of Lords, which aims to provide a guaranteed price mechanism to reduce risks for investors and boost producer confidence. He framed decarbonisation as "a licence for growth," a sentiment echoed in the government's support for airport expansions at Gatwick and Luton, with a consultation promised over Heathrow's proposed third runway.
On the ground, Heathrow Airport is attempting to drive uptake through an incentive scheme that reduces landing charges for airlines using cleaner fuel. The airport expects to meet its own internal target of 3% SAF use for 2025. Nevertheless, airlines operating outside major hubs have raised concerns about the availability and future cost of the more advanced SAF technologies that will be required to meet the escalating mandates.
