Ryanair, Europe’s largest short-haul carrier with a significant UK footprint, aims to use 12.5% SAF by 2030. It has extended an MoU with OMV allowing it to purchase up to 160,000 tonnes of SAF by 2030 and has made early purchases that have already cut emissions on specific routes. Management explicitly frames these deals as a way to “be there to pick up the supply” when mandates tighten, leveraging Ryanair’s scale to secure access in what remains a constrained market.
Virgin Atlantic operated the world’s first transatlantic flight powered entirely by 100% sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) in November 2023, marking a major milestone in the industry’s drive toward net-zero aviation.
easyJet has signed a memorandum of understanding with partners including Renavia and World Fuel Services to secure up to 150,000 tonnes of SAF (including up to 75,000 tonnes of e-SAF) from 2030, covering operations in both Europe and the UK. This sits within a broader roadmap to net zero by 2050, underpinned by an interim target to cut carbon emissions intensity by 35% by 2035 validated by the Science Based Targets initiative.
PORTFOLIO OF TECHNOLOGIES AND GEOGRAPHIES Airlines are also diversifying technology exposure. Early SAF supply is dominated by HEFA (waste oils and fats), but UK and EU policy explicitly promotes advanced, second generation biofuels, including those through converting waste organic matter into alcohol and then into jet fuel and power‑to‑liquid (PtL) e‑SAF from green hydrogen and captured CO₂. For example, upcoming mandates include sub-targets for synthetic SAF (PtL) starting in the late 2020s, pushing producers and airlines to engage with higher-cost but higher-impact pathways.
UK-exposed carriers are participating in domestic projects to align with government industrial strategy. IAG highlights that, with the right policy support, up to 14 SAF plants could be built in the UK, creating around 6,500 jobs and avoiding 3.6 million tonnes of CO₂ annually. Subject to the costs of the fuel, this local production is attractive for airlines seeking both supply security and alignment with UK decarbonisation policy.
20 | ADMISI - The Ghost In The Machine | Q1 Edition 2026
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