As the aviation industry races toward decarbonization targets, sustainable aviation fuel has emerged as the primary pathway to reducing emissions. However, the fragmented nature of business aviation’s supply chain creates several hurdles in securing consistent access to this critical fuel source.
“Business aviation operates in a fragmented ecosystem,” explains Kennedy Ricci, president of 4AIR. “Unlike commercial carriers that benefit from large, centralized fuel purchasing and dedicated airport infrastructure, business aircraft rely heavily on fixed-base operators and decentralized supply chains.
“This makes consistent SAF access more difficult, particularly at secondary or regional airports.”
The infrastructure challenges are particularly acute for smaller airports that serve business aviation. C.R. Sincock, II, executive vice president of Avfuel Corporation says, “The primary limitations to SAF availability stem from geographic and infrastructure constraints, particularly around access points like blending terminals and truck racks. With only a handful of blending facilities in operation, transporting SAF from these locations to smaller airports presents both economic and logistical challenges.”
The SAF landscape
The supply for sustainable aviation fuel chain remains in its infancy compared to traditional jet fuel infrastructure. “The SAF supply chain is still developing and remains relatively immature in breadth compared to the established production infrastructure for traditional Jet-A,” Sincock explains. “Currently, the primary pathway used to produce SAF is the HEFA-SPK process, whereby SAF is derived from used cooking oils and tallow.”
Production capacity, while growing, still lags significantly behind demand. “SAF production is steadily increasing but supply still lags behind the volumes required to both reach industry goals, like America’s SAF Grand Challenge to produce 3 billion gallons annually by 2030, and the various mandates in the UK and EU,” Sincock says.
This creates a complex web of challenges. “One of the primary challenges is the geographic gap between where SAF is produced, where it’s blended and where it’s ultimately used, making efficient distribution a logistical hurdle,” Sincock explains.
Commercial competition
The situation becomes more complex as major airlines sign substantial multi-year offtake agreements with SAF producers. “Larger hub airports are typically prioritized for SAF deliveries due to their existing airline contracts, robust infrastructure and direct pipeline supply from refiners,” Sincock explains.
“Access to pipeline-fed fuel storage enhances SAF distribution’s efficiency and economic viability.” This prioritization has become particularly evident in regulated markets. “This has become especially evident in the EU where mandates and different country’s regulations favor delivery to high-traffic airports within the producing country’s boundaries,” Sincock notes.
However, Sincock remains optimistic about business aviation’s position. “We don’t anticipate business aviation will be priced out or deprioritized in the USA, as business aviation has been at the forefront of adopting and integrating SAF into the supply chain,” he says.
The numbers support this assertion. “Business aviation continues to punch above its weight, while it accounts for roughly 4% of total jet fuel consumption, it is responsible for more than 10% of all SAF usage,” Sincock notes.
Despite this leadership, concerns about long-term access persist. Ricci says “Business aviation may not always command the same priority as commercial airlines in the SAF market. However, what offsets this is flexibility. Business aircraft can often refuel at airports with SAF availability, and many operators are leveraging book and claim models.”
Regional disparities
Geographic location significantly impacts SAF access, with notable differences between markets. “Europe, particularly in countries like the Netherlands, France, and Sweden, has more consistent SAF availability at major business aviation airports due to both regulatory pushes, for example blending mandates, and infrastructure readiness,”Ricci says. “North America is still largely opportunistic, SAF is available at a few key hubs but not widely.”
The European regulatory environment creates both opportunities and challenges. “In the EU, however, SAF is more challenging to obtain outside of major hubs,” Sincock explains. “This is largely due to legislated mandates that prioritize larger airports and airline carriers, making SAF access and logistics more difficult for smaller airports,” he says.
Some operators are finding innovative ways to address supply chain concerns through local production. Johan Emmoth, CEO and FBO manager at Grafair Flight Management in Sweden, has pioneered an approach that addresses environmental concerns about SAF transportation.
“Historically SAF has had to be transported over long distances, which sometimes leads you to think — how good is that for the environment when the fuel had to travel overseas or by trucks?” Emmoth explains. “What’s very interesting for us now is that Sweden actually has a refinery that can produce SAF locally and it is not too far from our FBO. We got our first locally produced SAF driven to us in a dedicated trailer that’s only used for full blend SAF. And it’s been pulled by a truck that only runs on 100% renewable diesel fuel, so it’s environmentally friendly.”
Storage challenges
The technical aspects of SAF distribution present both opportunities and obstacles. “From a storage perspective, SAF is treated simply as jet fuel. They both conform to ASTM D-1655 specifications,” Sincock explains. “Because of this, in most cases, SAF is intermingled with jet fuel in the airport’s established fuel storage system, and management systems carefully track its inventory.”
However, the distribution infrastructure creates more complex challenges. “To help lower supply costs, larger airports benefit from pipeline access and higher load capacity,” Sincock notes. “In contrast, smaller airports rely on a trucking system to deliver SAF. This may be a less economical option than pipeline transport, but it works within the system’s existing infrastructure.”
The scale of operations at smaller airports creates additional economic pressures. “Additionally, the scale of fuel uplift is smaller, making the business case for physical SAF delivery less compelling for suppliers focused on volume and throughput,” Ricci says.
Book and claim solutions
To address supply chain gaps, fuel suppliers have developed book and claim systems that allow operators to purchase SAF’s environmental benefits without requiring physical delivery at their location.
“Through Avfuel’s book and claim system, customers can purchase the environmental attributes of SAF, the emissions reduction benefit that is linked to actual SAF volumes delivered elsewhere,” Sincock explains. “This allows customers to claim the sustainability value without requiring physical SAF to be available at their specific location.”
The adoption of these programs has accelerated significantly. “We’ve seen a significant uptick, both in volume and in the sophistication of client questions,” Ricci says. “Operators, flight departments, and even fractional jet owners are now integrating SAF credit purchases into broader sustainability strategies. The demand isn’t just compliance-driven, it’s reputational and competitive as well.”
However, some operators prefer the transparency of physical SAF delivery. “I think book and claim will remain the major model. It makes the most sense,” Emmoth explains.
Market demand
The demand profile for SAF in business aviation shows encouraging trends. “Demand for SAF is growing steadily, driven by strong interest from sustainability-focused operators and Fortune 500 companies,” Sincock says. “The highest demand comes from those with defined ESG [Environmental, Social, and Governance] targets and active carbon offset programs.”
FBOs are responding with infrastructure investments. “Particularly at tier one and tier two business aviation hubs,” Ricci says. “FBO operators that have been early movers, have invested in tank modifications, SAF-ready fuel trucks, and staff training.”
Looking ahead, industry experts anticipate continued growth in SAF availability. “By 2030, I envision SAF being routinely available at most major bizav hubs in North America and Europe, with scalable options in Asia and the Middle East,” Ricci forecasts. “Pricing will likely remain at a premium, but we expect more stability and incentives to narrow the gap.”
Industry leaders identify several key areas requiring attention to accelerate SAF adoption. “First and foremost, we need consistent, stable, long-term policy support, such as tax credits and incentives, at all levels of government to encourage the significant investment required for SAF production,” Sincock says.
Awareness of SAF remains equally critical. “Secondly, ongoing education is critical, not just for end-users, FBOs and airports, but also for government agencies to build widespread understanding of SAF’s environmental benefits when clients are deciding to go in the green direction and making sure it’s not just green washing.
“Sweden has a history of flight shaming and environmental consciousness, so I think it’s a good to show SAF is an option but it’s up to the customer to choose whether they’d like to have.”
“Third, we must encourage end users to engage on how their flight departments can play a role in meeting corporate ESG goals through SAF adoption,” Sincock explains.
The path forward for business aviation’s SAF access will likely require a multi-faceted approach. While book and claim systems provide immediate scalability, operators like Grafair show that physical SAF delivery can work when supported by local production and dedicated infrastructure. The industry’s challenge lies not in choosing between these models, but in developing parallel systems that serve different market segments and operational needs.
Success will ultimately depend on continued investment in production capacity, infrastructure development, and education initiatives that help operators understand their options. As Emmoth notes, “You need to produce SAF and pump it into the system. What we’re doing puts SAF on the table for decision makers and big companies.” With business aviation punching above its weight in SAF adoption, the sector’s continued leadership in sustainable fuel integration will be crucial for achieving industry-wide decarbonization targets.
