Heathrow Expands 2026 SAF Incentive to Exceed UK Mandate
Heathrow Airport has announced an increase to its Sustainable Aviation Fuel (SAF) incentive scheme for 2026, targeting fuel use that is 2% above the UK Government’s SAF mandate. This would result in up to 5.6% of all aviation fuel used at the airport being SAF in 2026.
Under the scheme, more than £80 million will be made available to airlines to help reduce the cost difference between conventional kerosene and SAF. The funding is intended to support greater uptake of SAF and enable measurable reductions in carbon emissions from flights operating at the airport.
If achieved, the 5.6% SAF uplift would equate to approximately 350,000 tonnes of SAF used in 2026. Heathrow estimates this could reduce carbon emissions by around 600,000 tonnes, comparable to those from more than 950,000 economy-class return journeys between Heathrow and New York JFK.
SAF is produced from a range of alternative feedstocks and can deliver average lifecycle greenhouse gas emissions reductions of over 70% compared with traditional fossil-based jet fuel. Heathrow’s incentive scheme works by narrowing the price gap between kerosene and SAF, thereby improving the commercial viability of SAF for airlines.
Looking ahead, Heathrow aims to increase SAF uptake to 11% of total fuel uplifted at the airport by 2030, exceeding the UK Government’s national mandate of 10% by that year.
Matt Gorman, Director of Sustainability at Heathrow, said the expanded incentive reflects the airport’s focus on supporting near-term emissions reductions while contributing to longer-term net-zero aviation goals.
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