If you fly in and out of the EU, you're dealing with more than one set of rules. ReFuelEU requires fuel suppliers to blend a minimum 2% SAF at EU airports (rising to 6% by 2030 and 70% by 2050). Airlines need to prove they uplifted at least 90% of required fuel at those airports and report how much SAF they claimed and used. EU ETS caps total CO₂ and requires allowances for every tonne emitted. CORSIA adds global offsetting obligations, with its mandatory phase starting in 2027. On top of that, the UK, Singapore, Japan, and others are introducing their own mandates, each with different rules, timelines, and feedstock definitions. 

Here's the challenge: these regulations overlap but don't align. SAF that counts under ReFuelEU doesn't automatically reduce your EU ETS or CORSIA obligations in the same way. Documentation requirements also differ per scheme. The first step to managing all of this is understanding where each mandate applies across your route network, and where the overlaps and gaps are. 

Yes. But only if it's planned. 

SAF in 2026 costs roughly 2–6× conventional jet fuel depending on the production pathway (HEFA at the lower end, Power-to-Liquid at the top). That's significant. The good news is that SAF isn't just a cost. It's a financial lever. Airlines can recover value in two key ways: 

• Carbon cost reduction. SAF lowers your EU ETS and CORSIA exposure, which means fewer allowances or offsets to buy. 

• SAFc revenue. SAF certificates can be sold to corporates, cargo customers, or passengers willing to pay for verified emission reductions. 

The catch: this value only materialises if SAF is allocated to the right regulation and properly documented. Without that, you've paid for SAF but can't claim its benefits. 

This is one of the industry's least-discussed problems. Airlines are buying SAF but not always able to claim its full value. 

In recent reporting cycles, some airlines chose not to claim parts of their SAF volumes because documentation arrived too late, approval pathways were unclear, or formats didn't match regulatory templates. 

The result: SAF that was delivered and paid for was never claimed. No carbon cost reduction, no SAFc revenue, no compliance benefit. This happens because SAF claiming is fragmented. Different rules per regulation, inconsistent supplier documentation, and manual reconciliation under tight deadlines all make it easy for value to slip through the cracks. 

The airlines that solve this are the ones that automate the process and connect procurement, compliance, and finance around the same data. 

Most airlines don't have a clear strategy yet. Many default to using SAF wherever it happens to be available, rather than where it delivers the most value. 

A smarter approach considers several factors together: 

• Where mandates apply. At airports covered by SAF mandates, fuel suppliers are required to blend SAF. That cost gets passed on to airlines. So you'll have SAF at those airports whether you planned for it or not. The question is: what can you do with it? How do you extract the most value from SAF you're already paying for?  

• Where SAF delivers the most carbon cost reduction. EU ETS only accepts physically uplifted SAF, so location directly determines whether it reduces your allowance obligations. On CORSIA routes, it reduces your offsetting requirement. The value differs depending on where you allocate it. 

• Where SAFc revenue potential is highest. Think corporate travel routes or passenger segments willing to pay a sustainability premium. 

• Where SAF is actually available. Airport-level supply varies widely, and not every airport offers the same feedstock types or volumes. 

The airlines getting ahead are the ones modelling these variables together, comparing allocation strategies by route, regulation, and cost impact, rather than treating SAF as a one-size-fits-all purchase. 

Today, SAF management is scattered across departments. Procurement negotiates volumes. Finance tracks costs in spreadsheets. Compliance handles reporting. Sustainability sets targets. Often, there's no shared data between them. That means decisions are made in silos, value gets lost between handovers, and no one has the full picture. 

End-to-end SAF management means connecting every step: 

1. Plan. Model where to uplift SAF across your route network, how that impacts your carbon credit exposure, and where Scope 3 sales opportunities exist. This is where strategy is set. 

1. Source. Use those planning insights to find the right suppliers, compare deals, and negotiate volumes that match your strategy. 

1. Track. Monitor SAF use, certificate status, and regulatory exposure as flights operate. 

1. Claim. Validate documentation, allocate SAF certificates to the right regulation, and generate audit-ready reports for EU ETS, ReFuelEU, CORSIA, and more. 

1. Recover. Unlock SAFc revenue and per-passenger transparency through verified Scope 3 data. 

When these steps are connected, every department works from the same data. Airlines stop leaving value on the table and gain a clear picture of where SAF is helping them, and where it isn't.