UK government has an opportunity to unlock billions in investment and thousands of jobs, by accelerating SAF

With many SAF projects stalling at pilot stage, there is a generational opportunity for the UK to lead in more sustainable aviation fuels, create thousands of future-proof jobs, and attract over £10billion in investment by 2030.

PA Consulting’s latest global report, Cacophony to Symphony: Successfully scaling sustainable aviation fuel, draws on insights from nearly 600 senior leaders across airlines, airports, investors, producers, regulators and policymakers. The findings show that UK respondents are more likely than any other region to view government as the key stakeholder to unlocking SAF scale-up.

Other key findings from the report include:

• SAF is seen as achieving more than just sustainability goals – 77 percent of UK respondents believe SAF holds promise for job creation in the UK and 57 percent of investors, airlines, and airport respondents see SAF as critical to national energy security.
• The industry is united behind the promise of SAF – 96 percent of UK respondents cite SAF as essential to aviation’s decarbonisation efforts but only around a third (34 percent) believe widespread adoption will be achieved by 2030.
• Most airports lack a clear path to sustainability – 52 percent of UK airport respondents don’t have a SAF strategy and almost half (45 percent) haven’t drawn up a net zero roadmap.

Despite the UK’s £198 million investment through the Advanced Fuels Fund – supporting 1,400 jobs in its latest round – leaders warn that progress remains too fragmented and slow. With the UK’s Jet Zero Strategy mandating 10 percent SAF in jet fuel by 2030 and 22 percent by 2040, current projections fall significantly short. The SAF Bill is seen as a positive step, but respondents are calling for faster, more targeted support to overcome key barriers: high costs, limited production capacity, and insufficient cross-industry collaboration.