SAF around the world
In which airports is SAF available? Which countries mandate the use of SAFs? Consult the maps below for more information.
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In which airports is SAF available? Which countries mandate the use of SAFs? Consult the maps below for more information.
Based on the ranked airlines’ offtake agreements and the data publicly available by Eurocontrol, ICAO, airports and airlines, SAF is expected to be available mostly in European airports (60% of the airports with SAF), followed by North America (25% of airports with SAF), Asia (10% of the airports with SAF) and Oceania (less than 5% of the airports with SAF). However, currently, no airport is expected to supply e-kerosene. When available, the map also provides additional information about SAF types, expected volumes, and the airlines planning to use it at these airports.
European and North American airlines lead the way when it comes to e-kerosene: it accounts for around 15% of European airlines' SAF volumes and 5% of North American airlines' SAF volumes.
What type of SAF are the ranked airlines committing to based on their investments and binding and non-binding agreements? European and North American airlines lead the way when it comes to e-kerosene: it accounts for around 15% of European airlines' commitments and 5% of North American ones. In contrast, there are no African, Asian, Oceanian, and South American airlines with firm e-kerosene offtake agreements.
As for biofuels, crop-based biofuels account for around 45% of the North American airlines’ commitments, while European airlines have almost entirely abandoned them in favour of biofuels derived from used oils and fats (around 55%). One South American airline has committed to waste biomass, whilst Asian airlines have offtake agreements for SAF made from municipal solid waste, waste oil and food- and feed crops. African airlines have no commitment for any kind of SAF.
A supportive regulatory and policy environment is key for fostering the uptake of the right kind of SAF, notably e-kerosene, to meet aviation’s demand and ensure its decarbonisation.
Below is a map showing the different legislative frameworks that have been or will be implemented to support the uptake of SAF.
A supportive regulatory and policy environment is key for fostering the uptake of the right kind of SAF, notably e-kerosene, to meet aviation’s demand and ensure its decarbonisation. It is also important to establish clear sustainability criteria for SAF to ensure the fuels are both sustainable and scalable.
In recent years, the main approach to encouraging SAF uptake has been target-based (e.g. minimum percentage of SAF), although Canada and the US have adopted an incentive-based approach. Eight SAF mandates have been adopted worldwide, including in the EU, the UK, India and Brazil. Proposals are being discussed in seven countries including China, South Korea, the United Arab Emirates and Turkey. The different frameworks do not only differ for the targets they set, but also and most importantly for the type of SAF they foster.
Most frameworks currently incentivise biofuels, including the most unsustainable and problematic crop-based ones, such as from soy or palm oil. This raises concerns not only about the aviation sector’s ability to decarbonise but also about broader environmental impacts these fuels can have (e.g. deforestation and biodiversity loss). The example set by the EU and UK that have excluded them due to sustainability concerns should be followed also by other countries.
Despite the clear environmental benefits of e-kerosene, only few frameworks do actively promote them (EU, US, and UK). Unsurprisingly, only airlines based in Europe and North America have offtake agreements and memorandums of understandings involving e-kerosene showing the importance of a framework having dedicated provisions to promote it.
Many countries are still missing, or in few cases developing a SAF framework. At international level, the International Civil Aviation Organisation (ICAO) has established CORSIA: a global initiative designed to reduce aviation emissions through carbon offsetting, including via SAF. However, CORSIA has many limitations, as its fuel eligibility lies in rather weak sustainable standards by including, for example, unsustainable crop-based biofuels.