UK Now Falls Short of Sustainable Aviation Fuel Mandate for 2025, Raising Concerns for Decarbonisation

Published on December 29, 2025

A new update from the UK government has revealed a potential setback in the journey to cleaner skies. According to provisional figures from the Department for Transport (DfT), the UK is on track to miss its first Sustainable Aviation Fuel (SAF) target for 2025 raising fresh concerns about how quickly the aviation industry can decarbonise.

The policy, introduced earlier this year, requires airlines to blend a minimum amount of SAF with traditional jet fuel as part of the country’s wider climate commitments. For 2025, the target was set at 2%. However, data covering aviation fuel supply up to October 2025 shows SAF currently makes up just 1.6% of fuel used on UK flights falling nearly 20% short of the goal.

While the shortfall may seem modest on paper, it highlights the real-world challenges facing the industry, from limited SAF availability to higher costs and supply chain constraints. It also serves as an early warning, especially as targets become far more ambitious in the years ahead.

Under the government’s long-term plan, SAF usage is expected to rise sharply reaching 10% by 2030 and 22% by 2040. Hitting those milestones will require faster investment, stronger supply chains, and closer collaboration between government, fuel producers, and airlines.

For now, the latest figures underline a simple reality: the transition to greener aviation is underway, but it’s proving more complex and slower than hoped.

Current SAF Usage and Sources

The figures published by the Department for Transport indicate that by early October 2025, just over 160 million litres of SAF had been used across UK aviation, which is a small fraction of the total jet fuel consumed – approximately 10 billion litres. All of the SAF used in the UK so far has been derived from recycled cooking oil, primarily sourced from Asia, predominantly from China.

While the SAF being used in UK aviation does emit similar carbon dioxide levels as conventional jet fuel during flight, it is considered lower-carbon overall due to the method of production, which involves recycling waste materials rather than extracting fossil fuels. This has led to SAF being regarded as a key solution for reducing emissions in the aviation sector, especially for long-haul flights where electrification or other forms of decarbonisation remain more challenging.

Despite the early shortfall in meeting the SAF mandate, the Department for Transport (DfT) emphasized that these figures are provisional and subject to verification. The final data for the year will not be available until November 2026. Moreover, the DfT pointed out that SAF volumes are continuing to rise, and not all fuel suppliers have yet reported their SAF deliveries.

Future SAF Targets and Industry Challenges

The UK government’s policy on SAF mandates has set clear long-term targets, including the ambitious 10% SAF usage by 2030 and 22% by 2040. These targets will eventually include second-generation SAF, which is produced using more sustainable feedstocks such as agricultural waste and algae. However, second-generation SAF is not yet produced at scale, making it difficult to meet the projected targets.

Industry experts have raised concerns about the feasibility of meeting these ambitious targets, particularly with the high costs associated with second-generation SAF and the limited production capacity. The lack of infrastructure and investment in SAF production plants has also been identified as a significant barrier to scaling up production to meet future demand.

Furthermore, there are concerns over the availability of SAF supplies at airports outside of major hubs. Heathrow Airport has introduced incentives to encourage airlines to use cleaner fuels, including a reduction in landing charges for airlines that adopt SAF. Despite this, airlines operating from smaller airports, such as Gatwick and Luton, have indicated that SAF supplies remain limited, which could hinder the wider adoption of SAF across the UK.

Global Comparison and Industry Support

On the global stage, the UK remains ahead of many countries in terms of SAF uptake. According to the International Air Transport Association (IATA), SAF accounted for only 0.6% of worldwide jet fuel consumption in 2025, with projections suggesting a slight increase to 0.8% in 2026. This places the UK in a relatively strong position in the global push for aviation decarbonisation. However, IATA’s director general has expressed concerns about the effectiveness of current mandates, suggesting that governments need to implement stronger incentives to stimulate SAF production and make the fuel more widely available.

The UK government has expressed continued support for the aviation sector’s decarbonisation, despite the current challenges. The aviation minister, Keir Mather, emphasized that decarbonisation efforts, including SAF adoption, would be central to the sector’s growth strategy, helping to reduce emissions while supporting future expansion. A SAF bill, currently passing through the House of Lords, is expected to guarantee prices for SAF, reducing investment risk for producers and potentially accelerating the growth of the industry.

Conclusion

The UK is clearly committed to reducing its aviation sector’s carbon emissions through the adoption of sustainable aviation fuels. However, the provisional data indicating that the first mandate target is unlikely to be met raises significant questions about the pace of this transition. With SAF being seen as one of the most viable options for decarbonising long-haul aviation, it is clear that increased investment in SAF production and infrastructure will be necessary to meet the government’s ambitious future targets. As the UK continues its push for cleaner aviation, the coming years will likely see further developments in the SAF market, with industry stakeholders and government authorities working together to overcome the current challenges.