EU aviation fuel supply jumps, meeting new sustainable fuel mandate

According to the European Union Aviation Safety Agency, sustainable aviation fuel deliveries in 2025 expanded to many more airports than in 2024, allowing the sector to surpass the 2% minimum share mandated by the ReFuelEU Aviation regulation. This marks the first year that the compulsory targets are applied, and the agency estimates that the shift avoided millions of tonnes of greenhouse-gas emissions across EU airports.

While the majority of SAF was produced inside the EU, most feedstock originated from outside the bloc. The agency says one outlet trajectory keeps Europe on course to reach the 6% SAF incorporation goal for 2030. In Portugal, SAF accounted for a small share of total aviation fuel, even though the country had no active production facilities at year-end; seven projects are under way, with the most advanced being a Galp and Mitsui plant in Sines expected to start operations in 2026. European Transport and Tourism Commissioner Apostolos Tzitzikostas hailed the early compliance as evidence of a cleaner, more competitive aviation sector.