LONDON (dpa-AFX) - Flights departing the UK have begun using greener fuels as the government's ambitious Sustainable Aviation Fuel Mandate officially came into force at the New Year.
Sustainable Aviation Fuel, or SAF, is made from sustainable sources, such as materials like household waste or used cooking oil and produces an average of 70 percent less carbon emissions than traditional fossil-based aviation fuel.
By law, this type of fuel must now make up at least 2 percent of all jet fuel in flights taking off from the UK from 2025, growing year-on-year to 10 percent by 2030 and 22 percent by 2040.
These ambitious targets should see around 1.2 million tons of SAF supplied to the UK airline industry each year by 2030 - enough to circle the globe 3,000 times.
Being one of the first countries in the world to sign the mandate into law, the UK is at the forefront of decarbonizing air travel.
From this moment on, aviation will be a greener, more sustainable form of travel and today marks a significant milestone for the UK SAF industry, said Mike Kane, Minister for Aviation.
'With thousands of jobs supporting the UK SAF industry and flying becoming popular than ever, the mandate will help deliver our Plan for Change helping to grow the economy and giving people the freedom to travel in a more sustainable way.'
Tim Alderslade, CEO of Airlines UK, said, UK airlines support the SAF Mandate as both a powerful and practical tool for driving down aviation carbon emissions and a clear signal that the industry is fully committed to a net zero future.
'Our priority is ensuring airlines have access to the increasing volumes of SAF required to meet the mandate as global demand soars, at the most competitive price possible for consumers.'
Copyright(c) 2025 RTTNews.com. All Rights Reserved
Copyright RTT News/dpa-AFX
© 2025 AFX News
