EASA’s first annual SAF snapshot reveals scale of uptake across EU airports
October 25, 2025
European Union airports’ use of Sustainable Aviation Fuels (SAF) in 2024 avoided roughly 714,000 tonnes of CO₂ – the equivalent of about 10,000 return flights between Madrid and Paris – according to a new report from the European Union Aviation Safety Agency (EASA).
The first ReFuelEU Aviation Annual Technical Report, published on 22 October, provides an initial snapshot of SAF production, supply, and uptake across EU airports.
SAF accounts for 0.6% of aviation fuel at EU airports
The headline figure: in 2024, just 0.6% of all aviation fuel supplied at EU airports came from sustainable sources.
That’s a modest start compared with the 2% SAF blending mandate coming into force this year.
EASA data shows that 0.6% of all aviation fuel supplied in 2024 – around 193 kilotonnes – was SAF, mostly biofuel derived from used cooking oil (81%) and waste animal fats (17%).
Synthetic SAF was absent from the mix, underscoring the nascent state of advanced fuels in the EU, EASA said.
The report also highlights market concentration: five member states – France, the Netherlands, Spain, Sweden, and Germany – accounted for 99% of supply, while 69% of feedstock came from outside the EU, predominantly China (38%) and Malaysia (12%), with Finland as the largest European contributor (10%).
‘Important first steps’
“The first Annual Technical Report marks an important milestone and makes clear that the EU has taken important first steps,” said Maria Rueda, EASA’s Safety Management, Strategy and Global Outreach Director.
“A functioning reporting system is now in place, initial reporting compliance levels are solid, and SAF delivery is happening across multiple member states.”
While 2024 established a baseline, the report notes the road ahead remains long.
ReFuelEU Aviation Regulation mandates a 2% SAF share in 2025 for around 150 EU airports, rising to a 6% overall blending target by 2030.
Airlines play their part
On the operator side, 74% of airlines subject to ReFuelEU submitted reports, covering 38.8 million tonnes of fuel uplifted at EU airports.
Some 357,000 tonnes of SAF were purchased, slightly more than suppliers reported delivering, suggesting confusion over whether global or EU-only purchases should be declared.
Most of that fuel was claimed under emissions-trading schemes such as the EU ETS (39%) and UK ETS (42%), though none was reported under CORSIA, the UN’s global carbon-offset system.
At an airport level, the pattern of fuel uplift varied widely.
Only 61% of EU airports met the rule requiring operators to refuel at least 90% of the fuel needed for flights, a safeguard against “tankering” cheaper fuel from outside the EU.
Smaller and non-EU operators were the most likely to miss reporting deadlines.
Production expands, but slowly
EASA found 17 EU member states now host SAF production or announced projects, up from 12 in 2023 – clear evidence that investment momentum is building. Yet synthetic aviation fuels, seen as the long-term replacement for fossil kerosene, remain well behind schedule.
Not a single e-fuel project in the EU has yet reached a final investment decision, raising doubts over the bloc’s ability to meet the 2030 sub-target for synthetic fuels unless several projects break ground by 2026.
Depending on the scenario, EASA projects 1.4 to 5.2 million tonnes of SAF production capacity (plus 0.7 Mt of synthetic fuels) could be available by 2030 – potentially enough to meet near-term quotas but not the 20% SAF target for 2035.
What are the barriers to SAF use?
According to the EASA report, SAF costs remain elevated, averaging €2,085 per tonne compared with €734 for conventional jet fuel, which, combined with limited feedstock and production bottlenecks, continues to challenge widespread uptake.
Despite these hurdles, EASA concludes that the EU is on track to scale SAF gradually, with reporting compliance and delivery systems improving – setting the stage for a more sustainable aviation sector over the coming decade.
What is the situation in the UK?
In the UK, the demands placed on airlines and airports to use SAF are even more rigorous.
The SAF Mandate starts in 2025 at 2% of total UK jet fuel demand, increasing linearly to 10% in 2030 and then to 22% in 2040.
From 2040, the obligation will remain at 22% of total UK jet fuel demand until there is greater certainty regarding SAF supply.
The UK’s SAF Mandate could deliver up to 6.3 megatonnes of carbon savings per year by 2040.
Featured image: Neste
