TUI Group Expands Use of Sustainable Aviation Fuel

The TUI Group has greatly expanded the amount of Sustainable Aviation Fuel (SAF) it utilises throughout its airline operations. This is in keeping with TUI Group’s overall objective of decreasing greenhouse gas emissions and assisting with the long-term decarbonisation of travel services. The introduction of SAF is part of TUI Group’s efforts to meet its net zero commitment and enhance its airlines’ environmental performance.

SAF Deployment Reaches Record Levels

According to an industry report, in 2021 TUI Group’s airline operations consumed approximately 11,262 tonnes of SAF. This represents an increase from approximately 1,700 tonnes in the year ending December 2024. This six-fold increase demonstrates a significant shift in the way TUI Group is approaching the reduction of carbon emissions from its aircraft operations.

SAF is mixed with conventional jet fuel; it is made to have lower total lifecycle CO₂ emissions than conventional jet fuel made from fossil-fuel sources. SAF can be manufactured from sustainable feedstocks, including used cooking oils and non-food animal waste.

Seniority in Responsiveness and Regulatory Compliance

Seniority in responsiveness: TUI is committed to being a leader in sustainability through the expanded use of SAF to comply with European regulatory requirements to promote the uptake of low-carbon fuels and its own sustainability commitments.

TUI will add SAF to the mix to seek to achieve net-zero emissions through a variety of operational and fleet efficiencies and other operational improvements to prevent the negative impacts on the environment caused by travel.

SAF as Part of TUI Group’s Overall Sustainability Commitment

As part of its approach to sustainability, TUI Group has developed a holistic sustainability strategy that addresses not only the operational use of SAF but also the company’s commitment toward climate-friendly travel options and to reducing emissions across its entire portfolio, including hotels, cruise lines and other tourism-based businesses.

The ultimate objective of TUI’s holistic sustainability approach is to reduce the level of absolute emissions across all of TUI’s divisions and promote climate-friendly travel and leisure opportunities. In addition to increasing SAF use, TUI has tightened its sustainability compliance requirements on suppliers and partners and made emissions reduction a primary business priority.

The environmental initiatives that TUI has implemented include the introduction of electric vehicles into TUI’s fleet at various locations around the world and the increased level of onsite renewable energy generation at many of TUI’s hotels worldwide.

TUI Cruises completed the first transfer of liquid biogas (Bio-LNG) onto one of its cruise ships, which reflects TUI’s efforts to reduce carbon emissions from cruise ships, whilst the absolute greenhouse gas emissions of cruise ship operations fell by approximately 5.5% when compared to the equivalent measurement for 2019.

The Industry’s Environment and Decarbonisation Concerns

Across the entire airline sector, there exists considerable pressure placed on the industry to implement low-carbon fuels and technological options into their operations as quickly as possible in order to meet their commitments to combat climate change and to comply with regulations.

Sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) has wide acceptance globally as one of the most effective options in the short- to medium-term to help airlines reduce the amount of carbon dioxide emitted from their flights, particularly when considering the long timeframes required for the development of green (zero-emissions) aircraft.

Availability and cost of SAF are two of the greatest impediments to large-scale use of SAFs. Globally, total production of SAF is growing each year; however, the amount of SAF produced today represents a tiny fraction of all possible jet fuel consumption, contributing only an estimated 0.3% of total jet fuel consumption in 2024 (Global Aviation Emissions: A Review of Market-Based Measures). The outcome from increased production and consequently decreased costs is not yet clear.

The aviation industry and government agencies are discussing various types of policy frameworks and mandates to create incentives for the aviation sector to adopt more SAF. Along with developing early SAF production capability and increasing demand for SAF, many areas have created a SAF target share of jet fuel blend (e.g., 30% SAF by 2030) as part of decarbonisation goals, providing a clear path for airlines and fuel producers toward implementing decarbonisation solutions.

Future Expansion and Operational Efficiency Measures

TUI Group is planning to further expand their use of sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) into various other methods to reduce emissions, including new passengers and operating procedures. Approximately 50% of TUI Group’s fleet consists of aircraft that are equipped with engines that provide better fuel consumption. The company is also trying to develop additional technology and partnerships to help reduce carbon emissions.

Expanded use of SAF will play a critical role in TUI Group’s emission management strategy as customers are demanding more environmentally friendly travel options and are putting a greater emphasis on the environmental performance of their travel choices due to governmental regulations.

The successful deployment of SAF will be a key component of the aviation industry efforts to minimise their overall environmental impact while still balancing environmental advantages with the challenges associated with the supply and cost of SAF.

TUI Group’s commitment to SAF reaffirms both the opportunities and challenges involved in the process of decarbonisation within commercial aviation and shows the necessity of working together across the travel industry to alleviate the challenges faced throughout the trend towards cleaner fuels.