Europe's Aviation Sector on Track to Meet 2025 Green Fuel Mandate

Europe's aviation industry has reached a major environmental milestone, meeting — and potentially exceeding — its 2% sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) requirement for 2025. According to a regulatory official and a senior EU source who spoke with Reuters, this achievement marks a dramatic shift from the previous year's uptake of just 0.6%, silencing critics who had long predicted the targets would fall short.

Florian Guillermet, head of the European Union Aviation Safety Agency (EASA), confirmed the development during an interview in Cologne, stating that the sector is likely at or above the 2% threshold. EASA is expected to release official SAF consumption data for Europe following the summer. A senior EU official, speaking anonymously, also indicated that the region likely surpassed the benchmark, citing a clear and measurable supply response to the regulatory mandate.

The EU's ReFuelEU Aviation regulation requires that 2% of all jet fuel made available at European airports in 2025 be SAF, with targets scaling up to 6% by 2030. Synthetic SAF, known as eSAF, faces even steeper requirements — 1.2% of total fuel by 2030, climbing to 5% by 2035. These ambitious targets come at a critical time, as rising oil prices linked to Middle East tensions and disrupted supply chains continue to spotlight global dependence on fossil fuels in aviation.

Industry groups like Airlines for Europe (A4E), which represents carriers including Ryanair, Lufthansa, and British Airways parent company IAG, have pushed back against the eSAF mandate, pointing to high production costs and limited availability. However, European Commission officials have firmly rejected any rollback. Guillermet reinforced this position, emphasizing that the mandate remains in force and that no justification exists for altering it.

With supply chains responding and compliance proving achievable, Europe's green aviation transition is gaining momentum heading into the next phase of its decarbonization roadmap.