Targeting SAF at a handful of major airports could deliver outsized climate and health benefits, new CATF analysis finds
In Massachusetts, a new report from Clean Air Task Force (CATF) found that directing sustainable aviation fuel to a small number of high-impact airports, rather than spreading it across the aviation network, could significantly increase the fuel’s climate and public health benefits while global supply continues to build.
The report, Maximizing the Climate Co-Benefits of Sustainable Aviation Fuel via Targeted Allocation, analyzed 2024 flight activity at major U.S. and European airports to identify where targeted SAF use would have the biggest impact.
“Every ton of SAF reduces carbon emissions no matter where it’s used, but that’s not true of the fuel’s other climate and health benefits,” said Thomas Walker, Associate Director for Transportation Technology at Clean Air Task Force and a co-author of the report. “Contrail formation and local air pollution are both highly dependent on where and when a plane takes off. That means a relatively small amount of SAF, directed to the right airports, could do far more good than the same amount spread evenly across the system – especially while SAF supplies are highly limited.”
Working with aviation climate data company Estuaire, CATF analyzed 16.6 million flights at major U.S. and European airports in 2024, examining contrail formation as well as particulate matter and nitrogen oxide emissions during landing and takeoff. The analysis found that just 2% of flights generate 80% of contrail-related warming, meaning a targeted approach can capture most of the climate benefit without requiring a large share of the global SAF supply, which made up just 0.7% of the jet fuel market in 2025.
Based on a combination of contrail impacts and air quality benefits, the report identifies John F. Kennedy International Airport, Los Angeles International Airport, and O’Hare International Airport as priority U.S. locations for targeted SAF allocation. In Europe, London Heathrow, Istanbul Airport, and Paris Charles de Gaulle were identified for the same reasons.
Category: SAF
