India’s leading energy company, Indian Oil Corporation (IOC), is poised to introduce its first batch of Sustainable Aviation Fuel (SAF) by March next year, according to a report by Business Line. Utilizing an innovative co-processing method, IOC aims to rapidly advance SAF availability ahead of government mandates. The Indian government has established an indicative target requiring a 1% blend of SAF in conventional jet fuel for international flights starting in 2027, driving companies like IOC to accelerate their sustainability initiatives.

To meet this goal, IOC has partnered with LanzaJet to explore alcohol-to-jet technology for SAF production. Simultaneously, the company is actively developing a more cost-effective co-processing approach. IOC’s strategy relies heavily on utilizing waste cooking oil as the primary feedstock, converting it into sustainable fuel through existing refinery processes.

This strategic move by IOC highlights India’s commitment to environmental sustainability and aligns with global efforts to reduce aviation emissions. By leveraging waste-based resources and adopting innovative processing technologies, IOC seeks to position itself as a leader in India’s growing SAF market, contributing significantly toward greener aviation ahead of regulatory timelines.

Japanese energy powerhouse ENEOS Corporation has just unveiled a groundbreaking sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) agreement with American Airlines—marking the first-ever SAF procurement by the U.S. carrier within Japan. Under this innovative pact, American Airlines will power its Haneda-to-New York flights using SAF, signaling a significant step toward reducing carbon emissions in the aviation industry.

In a bold move to support sustainable energy initiatives, ENEOS is set to supply and market SAF domestically, paving the way for cleaner, greener air travel. The collaboration comes as part of an ongoing effort between ENEOS and Mitsubishi Corporation, which have joined forces on a Front End Engineering Design (FEED) project. This strategic partnership aims to assess and develop a state-of-the-art SAF production facility at ENEOS’ sites in Arita City and Wakayama.

Pending favorable FEED results, the facility is projected to kick off production from the fiscal year 2028, with an impressive annual output of approximately 300,000 tons of SAF. In addition to SAF, the plant will also produce valuable by-products, including bio-naphtha and biodiesel fuel fractions, further enhancing its contribution to the sustainable energy landscape.

This milestone agreement not only reinforces the commitment of both ENEOS and American Airlines to environmental sustainability but also highlights the transformative potential of SAF in reshaping the future of aviation.

On April 2, the Asian Sustainable Aviation Fuel Association (ASAFA) announced a strategic partnership with the World Bioenergy Association (WBA). This landmark partnership marks a critical step in the deployment of sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) and bioenergy solutions in the Asia Pacific region.

In the face of increasing decarbonization pressures on the aviation industry, bio-based SAF is the most promising emission reduction option in the near future, with up to 80% reduction in lifecycle greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions, making it an important pathway to achieving the industry’s net-zero emissions target by 2050. WBA has a global network of leading technologies and professional resources, while ASAFA has a strong industry presence in the Asia-Pacific region. Both parties are committed to accelerating the implementation and market application of SAF technology.

The strategic objectives of this collaboration include: strengthening regional collaboration to drive SAF deployment in the Asia-Pacific market; promoting feedstock diversification and production technology development through workshops, policy dialogues and technology exchanges; building a favorable policy environment to attract investment and reduce industrialization risks; and strengthening the ties between global stakeholders in the aerospace and bioenergy sectors.

March 25 (Bloomberg) — FBO chain Signature Aviation is expanding its sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) operations to six new locations in Europe this year. Under multiple blended fuel agreements, the company will provide a permanent supply of SAF at five facilities in the United Kingdom (East Midlands Airport (EGNX), Gatwick Airport (EGKK), London Heathrow Airport (EGLL), London Luton Airport (EGGW), and Manchester Airport (EGCC)), as well as across the channel at Paris Le Bourget Airport (LFPB).

This follows Signature’s recent announcement that it will expand its U.S. SAF operations to cover six major business aviation markets on the East Coast and Gulf Coast.

With this European tranche, the chain will have 33 stores worldwide offering permanent SAF supply, eight of which are located in the EMEA region. It will inject more than 50 million gallons of blended SAF into the company’s network.

Derek DeCross, the company’s chief commercial officer, said, “We are proud to expand our SAF service to six new locations in Europe, following our recent expansion to other key locations in the United States. Together with our suppliers, we continue to utilize the most comprehensive SAF supply chain to help our guests achieve their sustainability initiatives by increasing availability across our network.”

Jia’ao Environmental, which recently received an investment from British oil giant BP, has received approval from Chinese regulators to bring its sustainable aviation fuel to the Chinese market.

JIAO’s bio-kerosene has been approved by the Civil Aviation Administration of China (CAAC), confirming that the fuel meets airworthiness certification requirements.

The aviation fuel will be produced at JIAO’s plant in Lianyungang, Jiangsu Province. The plant, which went into operation in November last year, is designed to produce 750,000 tons of sustainable jet kerosene per year. The Lianyungang plant, which is operated by Gala New Energy’s subsidiary Lianyungang Gala New Energy, utilizes waste resources such as kitchen waste and cooking oil to produce aviation fuel.

According to the UK’s Tourism Weekly, the Climate Change Committee, which advises the UK government, has stated that the UK aviation industry is unlikely to meet the government’s 2030 sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) target. The committee predicts that by 2030, SAF will account for only 6% of aviation fuel, falling short of the 10% target outlined in the January Sustainable Aviation Fuel Directive. The committee forecasts that SAF will reach 17% by 2040 and 38% by 2050. The report attributes the shortfall to expected supply constraints. It concludes that the aviation industry can still achieve net-zero emissions by 2050 through a combination of SAF adoption, efficiency improvements, aircraft electrification, demand management, and carbon removal technologies. However, the committee stresses that the costs of decarbonizing aviation should be reflected in flight prices, with additional demand management measures potentially needed.

Airbus announced on March 20 that the first batch of Sustainable Aviation Fuel (SAF) was recently delivered at Airbus Canada’s A220 facility, enabling the team in Mirabel, Canada, to use SAF for production, customer acceptance and test flights.

This means that all Airbus commercial aircraft assembly plants worldwide are now using SAF for internal operations.

During 2025, all Airbus Commercial Aircraft Delivery Centers around the world will provide customers with SAFs for marshalling flights.

This year alone, 2025, the Airbus Mirabel plant is expected to use more than 600,000 liters (more than 158,500 gallons) of SAF with a 30% mix ratio, resulting in a reduction of approximately 400 metric tons of CO2 emissions.

LanzaJet announced that Japan’s Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry (METI) has selected Cosmo Oil to receive a FY2024 subsidy to support a project developed with Mitsui & Co. that plans to utilize LanzaJet technology. This funding marks an important milestone for large-scale domestic SAF production in Japan and for increasing the supply of SAF to the aviation industry.

Global demand for SAF is expected to grow rapidly, and Japan has set a goal of diversifying away from petroleum-based fuels by 10 percent by 2030 and adopting alternative fuels.Cosmo Oil plans to develop the project utilizing LanzaJet’s proprietary ethanol to SAF technology and leveraging the company’s expertise in plant operations, fuel quality control and logistics, as well as Mitsui’s capabilities in ethanol sourcing, which will establish a large SAF production facility and create new business opportunities in Japan’s growing biofuel industry.

Upon completion of the project, the Sakae logistics site will produce approximately 150,000 kiloliters of SAF and 17,000 kiloliters of renewable diesel per year starting in 2029.