Corporate purchases of ‘sustainable’ aviation fuel (SAF) could support up to 1.9 million tonnes of production by 2030, according to a report by the International Air Transport Association (IATA).
The SAF Environmental Attribute Certificate Market study, produced with aircraft manufacturer Airbus and consultancy Accenture, estimates corporate SAF purchases could support between 1 million and 1.9 million tonnes of production by 2030, up from an estimated 323,000 tonnes purchased in 2024.
IATA said this represents “a strong demand signal for more SAF production, provided factors limiting corporate participation, such as unclear accounting rules, high prices, and purchasing complexity, are addressed”.
Global SAF production is expected to reach just 2.4 million tonnes in 2026 – equivalent to 0.8 per cent of total jet fuel use – and it remains two to three times more expensive than conventional jet fuel, according to IATA.
The association said “a robust and effective” book-and-claim system is needed to increase corporate SAF purchases and enable businesses with Scope 3.6 reduction goals to claim the emissions-reduction benefits “regardless of where the fuel is delivered and ultimately consumed”.
“SAF is aviation’s most important decarbonisation lever, but airlines cannot shoulder the cost of scaling it up alone,” said Marie Owens Thomsen, IATA’s senior vice president, sustainability and chief economist.
She said corporate buyers have “a unique opportunity” to help build the SAF market, but warned this will only be realised “if companies can participate with confidence, knowing that their contributions will count and that the process is simple and credible”.
Julien Manhes, vice president of sustainable aviation fuel and carbon dioxide removal development at Airbus, added: “By giving corporate buyers the accounting certainty they need to co-fund the SAF premium, book-and-claim can transform potential interest into firm commitments, sending the near-term demand signal fuel producers need to accelerate production and lower costs across the industry."
The report also cites a 2025 Global Business Travel Association study that found ‘marginal’ progress had been made to reduce the emissions related to business travel.
GBTA’s survey of 285 corporates found only around 15 per cent purchase SAF. Most are waiting for prices to fall, carbon-accounting rules to become clearer and the buying process to become simpler.
At between US$150 and US$500 per tonne of CO2e abated, SAF credits and certificates are among the most expensive options for addressing Scope 3 emissions, according to IATA’s report.
Demand is concentrated among industries with the greatest exposure to aviation emissions, largely banking and financial services, professional services and consulting, technology, and transport and logistics. Buyers are predominantly large North American and European companies with public decarbonisation goals.
Owens Thomsen added: “Corporate participation alone will not deliver the scale of SAF that aviation requires. Continued government support, effective incentives and a significant expansion of production capacity remain essential.”