The government of Singapore has unveiled an action plan that aims to decarbonize the country’s aviation sector. The program will, in part, require flights departing Singapore to be fueled with sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) starting in 2026.

The Singapore Sustainable Air Hub Blueprint was launched on Feb. 19. It was developed by the Civil Aviation Authority of Singapore in consultation with industry and other stakeholders and aims to decarbonize the country’s aviation sector. Under the blueprint, CAAS will work with aviation stakeholders to reduce domestic aviation emissions from airport operations by 20% by 2030 when compared to a 2019 baseline. The program aims to achieve net-zero domestic and international emissions by 2050. 

The blueprint contains numerous specific initiatives, including those related to SAF. As part of the program, CAAS will undertake several initiatives to build a SAF ecosystem and support the use of SAF in Singapore. This includes the required use of SAF in flights departing Singapore starting in 2026. The requirement is expected to phase in starting at 1% in 2026, increasing to 3-5% in 2030, subject to global developments and the wider availability and adoption of SAF. CAAS will also introduce a SAF levy for the purchase of SAF to achieve the uplift target. The funds collected through the SAF levy will be used to purchase SAF. According to the CAAS, the SAF levy will not change, even if the actual SAF price differs from what is projected. Rather, the actual uplift volume of SAF will be adjusted based on the predetermined SAF levy and prevailing SAF price. The agency said the level will vary based on factors such as distance travelled and class of travel. Current estimates indicate that a levy to support 1% SAF uplift in 2026 could increase ticket price for an economy class passenger on a direct flight from Singapore to Bangkok, Tokyo and London by approximately S$3 ($2.23), S$6 and S$16, respectively. 

Additional information is available on the CAAS website.