The lobby effort, led by Transport & Environment, has written to transport secretary Mark Harper, urging him to ensure the aviation industry foots the bill for research into the production of green fuels and efforts to ramp up their production, with the government pursuing a 10% SAF mandate by 2030.

In the letter, signed by the likes of Greenpeace, the Green Alliance and Tax Justice UK, the campaigners further demand of the travel secretary that no existing or future taxes on the sector, such as Air Passenger Duty, contribute to the scheme, and that any SAF development scheme be administered by a non-Treasury body.

The demands come as data from the Department for Transport’s (DfT) National Travel Survey shows that, in 15 out of the past 17 years, a majority of Brits didn’t fly, and those who did did so only once a year.

“The development and production of sustainable aviation fuel is vital, but it is neither fair nor right to expect the British people – the majority of whom rarely fly – to foot the bill,” Transport & Environment UK policy manager Matt Finch said. 

Earlier this week, Heathrow called for greater collaboration between the government and the industry on SAF after the world’s first 100% SAF-powered long-haul flight departed the airport last month. 

“Now we need collaboration between industry and government who both have critical deliveries, to scale up SAF production to make 100% SAF flights an everyday reality,” said Heathrow chief executive Thomas Woldbye on 11 December.

TTG has approached Airlines UK and the Department for Transport for comment.