SAF is created through electrochemical reactions between water and captured carbon (such as crop and forestry residues), and represents an important step in decarbonising the aviation industry. Unlike fossil fuel, SAF utilises carbon that has only been locked up over the past few years or decades rather than millennia.

Before it can be used in planes, SAF is blended with conventional fossil fuels at a ratio of up to 50:50. So, while this doesn’t remove the dependence on fossil fuels just yet, given that global supply of SAF is less than 1% of the aviation industry’s demand, it’s an important first step for British Airways who, alongside airlines such as Virgin Atlantic, United Airlines, KLM and Cathay Pacific, are investing heavily in increasing its production. British Airways plan to power 10% of their flights with SAF by 2030 and to reach net zero carbon emissions by 2050