Sustainable Fuel at EU Airports: A Historic Milestone in 2025
In 2025, for the first time, the supply of sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) at airports in the European Union exceeded the mandatory threshold of 2% of the total fuel supplied, reaching nearly 2.8%. This important news was announced by the European Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) and represents a crucial step forward in reducing the environmental impact of flights.
What does this mean for travelers?
SAF is a fuel produced from renewable and low-impact sources that can partially replace traditional fossil fuels used in aircraft engines. The growing adoption of SAF helps reduce CO2 emissions and other pollutants during flights.
For passengers, this means:
- Flying on planes with a progressively reduced environmental footprint
- Contributing to more sustainable air transport without necessarily changing travel habits
- Indirectly supporting innovation and the transition to greener flights
How was this result achieved?
In 2025, approximately 1.1 million tons of sustainable fuel were supplied out of a total of 39.3 million tons of fuel dispensed at EU airports. This figure surpasses the minimum 2% limit imposed by European regulation, recently enacted to encourage the use of SAF in the supply chain.
Additionally, EASA highlighted significant improvements in compliance and reporting from both fuel suppliers and airlines, which is essential to monitor and incentivize the spread of SAF.
Practical impact on flights and travel experience
Although the percentage of SAF currently used is still relatively low, the increase means that various routes and airlines are beginning to integrate greener fuel into their flights, especially at major airports like Rome Fiumicino (/airports/fco/) and London Heathrow (/airports/lhr/).
For travelers:
- There are no changes in boarding procedures or baggage restrictions
- Ticket prices are not directly affected by SAF due to current costs and policies
- In the future, with increased SAF use, some airlines may be rewarded for their sustainability and offer dedicated programs
Tips for environmentally conscious passengers
If you want to travel more sustainably, here are some suggestions:
- Choose airlines that promote SAF use: Check on our dedicated airlines page whether Ryanair (/airlines/fr/) or easyJet (/airlines/u2/) adopt or encourage SAF.
- Prefer direct flights: Takeoffs and landings are the most emission-intensive phases, so direct flights reduce environmental impact.
- Prioritize airports that support SAF: major hubs like Fiumicino (/airports/fco/) and Heathrow (/airports/lhr/) are already implementing sustainable distribution programs.
Monitoring your flight
FlightGuard offers a unique service to help you check the status and risks of your flight, including environmental policies adopted by the airport and airline. Check your flight risk on FlightGuard to travel more consciously.
Conclusion
Exceeding the minimum 2% sustainable fuel threshold in European refueling is an encouraging result towards greener air transport. Although just a first step, this positive trend shows the industry is evolving, also thanks to European regulations pushing toward a less polluting future.
As passengers, we can be part of this change by choosing wisely when and how to fly and by supporting airlines and airports investing in sustainability.
Want to know if your next flight is at risk? Check your flight risk on FlightGuard.
