Sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) is a renewable or waste-derived aviation fuel intended to reduce lifecycle greenhouse-gas emissions compared with conventional fossil jet fuel. It is normally supplied as a certified blend that meets the applicable aviation-fuel specification. Availability, blend level, sustainability credentials and delivery method must be confirmed for each airport and operation.

What is sustainable aviation fuel?

SAF is produced from eligible feedstocks and pathways rather than directly from fossil crude oil. After production and blending, the finished fuel must meet the same applicable technical requirements used for conventional aviation turbine fuel before it enters the aircraft fuel system.

SAF should not be described as zero-emission fuel. Aircraft still produce carbon dioxide during combustion. Its potential benefit is assessed across the fuel lifecycle and varies according to feedstock, production pathway, transport and accounting methodology.

What are the main SAF production pathways?

SAF is made through several certified pathways and feedstocks. The most common are:

Hydroprocessed Esters and Fatty Acids (HEFA): made from used cooking oil and animal fats.
Alcohol-to-Jet (ATJ): converts agricultural residues and ethanol into jet fuel.
Synthetic e-fuels: made by combining captured CO₂ with green hydrogen.

Each pathway has its own feedstock, certification and lifecycle-emissions profile. Ask the supplier which pathway applies to any SAF offer.

How much does SAF cost compared with Jet A-1?

SAF carries a cost premium. IATA reports that SAF prices exceed fossil-based jet fuel by a factor of two, and by up to a factor of five in mandated markets. Prices vary by station, volume and programme.

Two factors drive the premium:

Limited scale: SAF made up just 0.3% of global jet fuel supply in 2024.
Higher production costs: advanced feedstocks and refining add cost.

To manage the premium, define the volume and reporting need early and request SAF pricing alongside the standard Jet A-1 quotation.

Which regulations and mandates apply to SAF?

Government mandates are increasingly driving SAF adoption. They also create compliance points for operators planning international and domestic routes.

European Union: ReFuelEU Aviation requires a minimum 2% SAF share in fuel supplied at EU airports from 2025. The share rises to 6% in 2030.
Washington State (US): the Clean Fuel Standard, run by the state’s Clean Fuels Program, requires fuel suppliers to cut carbon intensity. SAF that meets the standard can generate tradeable credits. The obligation sits with fuel suppliers, not operators.

Rules differ by region and change often. Check the current requirement for each country on the route.

How is SAF supplied to aircraft?

SAF may be physically supplied as a blended fuel at an airport, delivered through an existing fuel-distribution system, or purchased through an accepted book-and-claim mechanism where environmental attributes are assigned separately from the physical molecule. The available model depends on the programme, supplier and airport.

What should an operator confirm before purchasing SAF?

Airport and supplier availability
Fuel specification and approved blend level
Feedstock and production pathway
Sustainability certification and chain of custody
Lifecycle-emissions methodology
Physical uplift or book-and-claim delivery
Ownership and retirement of environmental attributes
Price, taxes, fees and documentation

Why does SAF availability differ by location?

Supply depends on production capacity, blending infrastructure, airport fuel systems, regulation, incentives and local demand. An airport or country announcement does not necessarily mean SAF is continuously available for every operator or every uplift quantity.

What is book-and-claim?

Book-and-claim allows a buyer to fund eligible SAF and claim the associated environmental attributes even when the physical fuel is supplied elsewhere in the network. Credible use requires clear rules preventing double counting and documentation showing how the attributes were allocated and retired.

How should emissions claims be written?

Claims should identify whether they concern lifecycle emissions, the methodology used and the scope of the purchase. Avoid presenting a generic percentage as guaranteed for every SAF pathway. The reduction varies and should be supported by programme-specific evidence.

What are the emission factors for conventional aviation fuel?

Conventional aviation fuels have known emission profiles. Tracking them helps operators measure impact and compare fuel options.

Jet A-1: about 3.16 kg of CO₂ per kg of fuel burned, or roughly 2.5 kg per litre at typical fuel density.
Avgas and Jet B: about 3.10 kg of CO₂ per kg of fuel burned.

What are the non-CO2 impacts of aviation fuel?

Fuel combustion also creates contrails, sulfur emissions and particulate matter. A NASA and DLR study found that aircraft burning a 50/50 SAF blend produced 50 to 70 percent fewer contrail ice crystals at cruising altitude. Results vary by fuel, engine and conditions.

How can operators compare SAF offers?

Start by defining the purchasing objective: physical fuel supply for an operation, a purchase of environmental attributes through a specified programme, or a request connected with a particular reporting requirement. Ask the supplier to identify which model it is offering. These arrangements should not be treated as interchangeable.

For physical supply, specify the airport, operating date, fuel grade, estimated uplift and quantity unit. Ask whether the quoted quantity refers to the finished blend or the SAF component, and request the associated blend and sustainability documentation. For an attribute purchase, ask what quantity and reporting period it represents, who receives the attributes and how their allocation is recorded.

Compare the commercial terms alongside the evidence: quotation validity, currency, delivery charges, minimum purchase, cancellation conditions and the timing of document delivery. Separate a supplier’s indicative offer from a confirmed arrangement. Our aviation fuel quotation guide covers the wider commercial checks.

What evidence should be reviewed before making a SAF claim?

Ask for records linking the purchase to the fuel or attributes supplied, the sustainability certification, the lifecycle-emissions basis and the party entitled to make the proposed claim. Agree who within the operator’s organisation will review the evidence before it is used in customer communications or reporting.

If the purchase is intended for CORSIA reporting, check the specific eligibility and certification requirements in ICAO’s CORSIA eligible fuels guidance. A commercial description of a product as SAF is not, by itself, the evidence needed to establish eligibility for a particular scheme.

Keep the quotation, contract, delivery or allocation records and relevant certificates together. Where documentation is still pending, distinguish the purchase commitment from a completed and substantiated claim. IATA’s SAF overview provides further background on production and supply development.

How ASM approaches SAF requests

For a proposed SAF uplift, the operator should distinguish the physical fuel, the applicable product documentation and any environmental attributes. An offer should identify the relevant quantity, station, date and supporting evidence before an emissions claim is made. ICAO’s CORSIA eligible fuels guidance explains the separate eligibility and documentation framework for CORSIA claims. This industry guidance does not mean ASM offers a certified SAF or book-and-claim product at every station.

ASM arranges aviation fuel supply through its fuel supply partners for private and commercial operators. For SAF requests it can check local supplier options and coordinate the proposed fuel order at the requested station. Because SAF availability and commercial programmes change quickly, ASM confirms the current position for the specific airport, date, quantity and operator requirement rather than describing SAF as universally available.

During flight planning, ASM’s 24/7 operations desk can flag fuel-related requirements for the airports on a route, so operators can check regional mandates before departure.

SAF FAQs

Can every turbine aircraft use SAF?

Approved blended SAF is designed to meet applicable conventional jet-fuel specifications, but operators must follow the aircraft, engine and regulatory requirements relevant to their operation.

Is SAF available at every major airport?

No. Availability and delivery models vary and must be confirmed.

Does SAF eliminate in-flight emissions?

No. Its potential benefit is evaluated on a lifecycle basis rather than as zero exhaust emissions.

Is SAF mandatory?

In some regions, yes. The EU requires a 2% SAF share in fuel supplied at EU airports from 2025, rising to 6% in 2030, and some US states run their own programmes. Requirements change, so confirm the current rules for each route.

How much more does SAF cost than Jet A-1?

IATA reports SAF prices at about twice fossil jet fuel, and up to five times in mandated markets. The exact premium depends on station, volume and programme.

Can ASM provide a live public SAF price?

No. Pricing depends on the station, volume, programme, fees and environmental attributes; ASM provides request-specific quotations where available.

Sources

Reviewed September 2026. SAF regulation, availability and accounting rules are developing rapidly; use current supplier and authority documentation.

Discuss an SAF or Jet A-1 requirement: review ASM Aviation Fuel Services and send the airport, date, quantity and documentation requirement for a station-specific check.

Sustainable Aviation Fuel: Availability and Uplift Planning