Taking Flight Towards Sustainability: How Heathrow’s SAF Incentive Program Can Inspire Global Change

Heathrow airport has initiated its Sustainable Aviation Fuel (SAF) incentive scheme for the second year, with greener and cleaner jet fuel being in high demand. In 2022, Heathrow pioneered an SAF incentive program – a world-first for airports – aiming to subsidize up to 50% of the additional cost for airlines to encourage the use of SAF.

Last year’s program was oversubscribed, and Heathrow is now targeting to triple the percentage of SAF used in 2023 to around 1.5%. This will make Heathrow one of the largest SAF users globally this year. Airlines such as IAG, Virgin Atlantic, United Airlines, Air France, KLM, and JetBlue are taking part in the scheme.

SAF, which can be produced from various sources, including animal fat, waste, and cooking oil, is a proven technology that can lower carbon emissions by up to 70% compared to traditional jet fuel. With no need for technical modifications, SAF can work in existing aircraft. As electric or hydrogen-powered flights are not commercially viable yet, SAF is the key to achieving significant reductions in carbon emissions today. Heathrow aims to progressively increase the amount of SAF used each year, with a goal of using 11% SAF by 2030. This year’s SAF incentive is expected to reduce CO2 emissions by over 81,000 tons.

Heathrow’s incentive program has been successful, and other airports can follow suit and introduce SAF into their operations. There are several ideas that can be borrowed to encourage the use of sustainable aviation fuel, such as:

1. Incentive programs for airlines: Heathrow’s SAF incentive program has been successful in promoting the use of sustainable aviation fuel by airlines. The program provides a subsidy of up to 50% of the additional cost of SAF, making it more affordable for airlines to use. Other airports and countries can adopt similar programs to incentivize the use of SAF by airlines. For example, the Canadian government has announced a SAF incentive program for Canadian airlines, which will provide funding of up to CAD 2.6 billion over five years to support the production and use of SAF in the aviation industry.

2. Collaboration between airlines and airports: Heathrow’s SAF incentive program has brought together several airlines, including IAG, Virgin Atlantic, United Airlines, Air France, KLM, and JetBlue, to promote the use of sustainable aviation fuel. Other airports and countries can encourage similar collaborations between airlines and airports to promote the use of SAF. For example, the Dutch aviation industry has launched a joint initiative, the “Smart and Sustainable” program, which aims to promote the use of SAF in aviation and reduce carbon emissions.

3. Increasing the use of sustainable aviation fuel: Heathrow has set a target of using 11% SAF by 2030. Other airports and countries can set similar targets to increase the use of sustainable aviation fuel in the aviation industry. For example, the European Commission has set a target of increasing the use of sustainable aviation fuel to 2% by 2025 and to 5% by 2030.

4. Using waste and other sustainable sources to produce sustainable aviation fuel: Heathrow’s SAF can be produced from waste, animal fat, and cooking oil. Other airports and countries can explore similar sources to produce sustainable aviation fuel. For example, in the United States, several companies are using waste materials such as wood waste and municipal solid waste to produce sustainable aviation fuel.

Overall, adopting the above ideas can be helpful to other countries in reducing their carbon emissions from the aviation industry. By incentivizing the use of sustainable aviation fuel, promoting collaborations between airlines and airports, setting targets to increase the use of sustainable aviation fuel, and exploring sustainable sources to produce SAF, other countries can contribute to reducing their carbon footprint and promoting sustainable aviation.


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