Singapore to Levy SAF Fee on All Departing Flights from April 2026

Singapore's Civil Aviation Authority will implement a new Sustainable Aviation Fuel Levy on all departing passengers and cargo from April 2026, with fees ranging from S$1.00 for an economy-class passenger on a short-range flight to S$41.60 for a business-class passenger flying to the Americas. Revenue from the levy will fund a statutory SAF Fund used exclusively for SAF procurement and related certification, blending and delivery costs.

The levy supports Singapore's Sustainable Air Hub Blueprint, launched in February 2024, which requires all departing flights from Singapore to use sustainable aviation fuel beginning at 1% from 2026, with the proportion expected to grow in subsequent years. The blueprint targets a 20% reduction in domestic aviation emissions from airport operations by 2030 and net zero domestic and international aviation emissions by 2050. SAF use is projected to contribute nearly two thirds of the emissions reductions required to reach the net zero goal.

The levy is based on flight distance, the volume of SAF required to meet the 1% target and the price premium of SAF over conventional jet fuel. Actual fees are substantially lower than initial estimates released early last year, due to a decline in SAF costs since those projections were made. For example, the economy-class fee to Bangkok is S$1.00 compared to an earlier estimate of S$3.00, and the fee to London is S$6.40 versus S$16.00. Business aviation flights are charged on a per-aircraft basis—a Gulfstream G650 flying to London would pay S$1,200.

Singapore's structured SAF levy mechanism provides a funding model that other Asia-Pacific aviation hubs—including India, which has announced its own SAF roadmap—may consider for developing domestic SAF ecosystems. The CAAS approach of ring-fencing levy revenue in a statutory fund for SAF procurement only reduces the risk of funds being diverted, providing airlines and fuel producers with greater certainty about demand support. As Indian airports and airlines face growing international pressure on aviation emissions, Singapore's implementation framework offers a regulatory precedent for the region.

Key figure — SAF Levy ranges from S$1.00 to S$41.60 depending on class and destination