Airlines UK responds to SAF policy announcements

June 16th, 2026

Today has seen two positive announcements from Department for Transport (DfT), United Kingdom on UK SAF policy:

– a further £219m committed over the current spending review period to support UK advanced SAF projects as they work to reach FID
– a Call for Evidence into the SAF mandate to ensure current targets, in the short-term, can be met as supply is scaled up

Airlines will now work with HMG and producers / investors to explore how we can align the mandate with expected supply so consumers are not forced to pay for fuel that isn’t yet available whilst maintaining the investability of UK projects that will be critical to industry meeting its net zero commitments.

Tim Alderslade, Chief Executive of Airlines UK said:

“We welcome this move by the UK Government to ensure the SAF mandate is responsive to the evolving market, and to support the scale-up of UK advanced SAF supply.

“Airlines are concerned there will not be enough advanced SAF to meet the requirements of the UK sub-mandates and so we need action now to avoid a situation where airlines are forced to pay penalties for fuel they cannot buy, increasing the costs of air travel for UK consumers while doing nothing to reduce emissions or accelerate SAF production.

“Adjusting the sub-mandates to align with realistic supply will ensure UK aviation remains competitive while protecting UK consumers and decarbonisation goals.”