Sustainable Aviation Fuel Support

• Used cooking oils (UCO) — one of the most established SAF feedstocks
• Agricultural residues — corn stover, wheat straw, sugarcane bagasse
• Municipal solid waste (MSW) — non-recyclable organic waste streams
• Forestry residues — wood chips, sawmill waste
• Dedicated energy crops grown on non-food land
• Alcohol-to-jet (ATJ) — using ethanol or isobutanol as a SAF pathway

On a lifecycle basis (comparing emissions from feedstock production through to combustion), certified SAF can reduce CO₂ equivalent emissions by up to 80% compared to conventional Jet A-1. The actual reduction varies by feedstock and production pathway. Used cooking oil pathways typically achieve 65–80% reduction; some advanced pathways can achieve higher.

SAF is certified as a drop-in fuel under ASTM D7566 — the international standard for synthesised aviation fuels. This means it meets the same performance and safety requirements as conventional Jet A-1 and can be used in existing aircraft engines and fuel systems without modification. SAF is typically blended with conventional Jet A-1 at ratios currently approved up to 50% SAF in the final blend.

The EU's ReFuelEU Aviation regulation, which came into force in 2025, mandates increasing proportions of SAF in the fuel loaded at EU airports: 2% by 2025, rising to 6% by 2030, 20% by 2035, and 70% by 2050. Airlines operating into EU airports are already planning their SAF procurement and compliance strategy. ASM can help operators understand how SAF coordination fits into their compliance planning.

SAF availability in the Middle East is growing but remains more limited than in Europe and North America. The UAE and regional governments have active sustainability programmes, and several airlines operating from UAE airports face SAF compliance obligations through their EU operations. ASM monitors SAF supply developments across its fuel network and can advise operators on current availability on their specific routes.

Book-and-claim is a mechanism that allows operators to fund SAF production at one location and claim the associated environmental benefit (the 'carbon certificate') — even if the SAF is not physically uplifted on their route. This approach extends access to SAF environmental benefits to operators flying in markets where physical SAF supply is not yet available. ASM can advise on book-and-claim options where physical uplift is not feasible.