The Government has today announced its plans to introduce a mandate for 10% of jet fuel to be sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) in all UK outbound flights by 2030.

ABTA says it is good the Government shares the industry’s ambition in shifting to SAF as part of aviation’s plans to decarbonise, and that for the mandate to become reality the Government needs to put the right infrastructure in place.

Mark Tanzer, Chief Executive of ABTA – The Travel Association said:

“The Government and industry are aligned in the ambition to integrate the use of SAF into UK aviation.

“To make this a reality we need the Government’s support in a number of areas, including establishing a domestic industry for the production of SAF, as set out in ABTA’s Manifesto for Travel and Tourism.

“Today’s announcement marks some progress, with the launch of a consultation on the revenue certainty scheme which is essential for creating the conditions for a competitive UK SAF market. It is vital this work accelerates if the UK is to generate its own SAF at the levels needed to support this mandate.

“Another of the points raised in our manifesto is the importance of flying remaining affordable while also pursuing decarbonisation, so it is encouraging to see the Government recognise this today by including a review mechanism in its plans, to help manage prices and minimise the impact on ticket prices.”

Notes to editors
ABTA is a trade association for UK travel agents, tour operators and the wider travel industry. We’re the largest travel trade body, with over 4,600 travel brands in membership who have a combined pre-pandemic annual UK turnover of £40 billion. We work closely with our members to help raise and maintain standards and build a more sustainable travel industry, and provide travellers with advice, guidance and support.

Our members sign up to a code of conduct and commit to agreed service standards and fair trading. When you need clear travel information, and accurate and impartial advice relating to your trip, we’re here for you. When you book with an ABTA member, reliable advice comes as standard. This means that booking with our members brings peace of mind.

All this together means we help you travel with confidence. www.abta.com