Beginning in 2026, Singapore will require flights departing from the island nation to use sustainable aviation fuel, and customers will be charged a SAF levy, the Civil Aviation Authority of Singapore announced Monday.
Singapore’s initial SAF target will be 1 percent of fuel per flight, increasing by 2030 to 3 percent to 5 percent, subject to global developments and wider availability and adoption of SAF.
The customer levy will be “for the purchase of SAF to achieve the uplift target.” It will be a fixed amount, based on the SAF target and projected SAF price at that point in time, according to CAAS.
The levy will vary based on distance traveled and class of travel. CAAS gave an example of flights from Singapore to each Bangkok, Tokyo and London to be taxed about S$3 (US$2.23), S$6 (US$4.46) and S$16 (US$11.91), respectively, with passengers in premium cabins paying more.
“Singapore’s approach is to enable the aviation sector to achieve both growth and environmental sustainability, so that future generations can continue to enjoy the benefits of flying,” Singapore minister for transport and second minister for finance Chee Hong Tat said in a statement. “The measures were developed after careful study and close consultation with domestic and international stakeholders, and we hope that they will help to catalyze the development of sustainable aviation in the region and around the world.”
