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British Airways to power a number of flights with sustainable aviation fuel as it marks the delivery of its first supply from Phillips 66 Limited

British Airways has taken delivery of the first batch of sustainable aviation fuel produced by Phillips 66 Limited, making it the first airline in the world to start using SAF produced on a commercial scale in the UK.

Phillips 66 SAF refinery

The Phillips 66 Humber Refinery near Immingham is producing thousands of tonnes of SAF that will now help power a number of British Airways flights.

The SAF is produced from sustainable waste feedstock at the refinery and British Airways will add it into the existing pipeline infrastructure that directly feeds several UK airports including London Heathrow.

British Airways and Phillips 66 are both committed to a lower carbon future. The sustainable aviation fuel bought by the airline will be enough to reduce lifecycle CO2 emissions by almost 100,000 tonnes, enough to power 700 net zero CO2 emissions flights between London and New York on its fuel-efficient Boeing 787 aircraft.  

Both companies support Government plans for a future SAF mandate and a business model for investing in advanced waste to jet fuel projects through participation in the Department for Transport’s Jet Zero Council Delivery Group.

British Airways also continues to work with Government on ways to provide certainty for investors to help the UK be a leader in SAF production.

The delivery of the first batch of SAF from Phillips 66 Limited is a significant milestone for the airline as it aims to achieve net zero emissions by 2050

International Airlines Group, the airline’s parent company, is investing $400 million over the next 20 years into the development of SAF and British Airways has existing partnerships with several companies to develop plants and purchase the sustainable fuel.

Sean Doyle, British Airways’ Chairman and Chief Executive, said:

Being the first airline to source sustainable aviation fuel produced at commercial scale in the UK is another breakthrough moment for us and the airline industry.

Our supplies of SAF from Phillips 66 Limited will allow us to progress with our ambitious roadmap to reach net zero carbon emissions by 2050 or sooner and will play a role in our commitment, as part of International Airlines Group (IAG), to power 10% of flights with SAF by 2030.

Progressing the development and commercial scale up of sustainable aviation fuel will be a game changer and crucial to reducing the aviation sector’s reliance on fossil fuels and improving the UK’s energy supply resilience. I’m confident that Britain can take a leading role on the global stage in this space, creating green jobs and export opportunities, if industry, developers and Government continue to collaborate and make it a key focus area.

Darren Cunningham, Lead Executive UK and General Manager Humber Refinery, said:

Phillips 66 Humber Refinery is proud to supply British Airways with sustainable aviation fuel.  We were the first in the UK to co-process waste oils to produce renewable fuels and now we will be the first to produce SAF at scale. We’re currently refining almost half a million litres of sustainable waste feedstocks a day, and this is just a start.

The strategic collaboration and supply agreement confirm each companies’ commitment to a lower carbon future.  The production of SAF is just one of a number of decarbonisation projects we are currently progressing, and we are excited by the role that we play in supplying the UK with the fuels it needs, both now and in the future.

Transport Secretary Grant Shapps tweeted:

British Airways Speedbird Café menu app

British Airways customers can now also join the airline on its journey to reach net zero by 2050 through its onboard Speedbird Café menu app.

A new category can be found on the BA Better World tab labelled ‘Contribute to Carbon Offsets’, where customers on short-haul European flights can help fund carbon reduction projects around the world.

The £2.50 contribution represents the carbon compensation of an average British Airways European return flight per customer, and the funds are invested in verified CO2 emissions reduction and avoidance projects.


Launching BA Better World in September 2021, British Airways made a commitment to create a better, more sustainable future with a focus on people, planet and responsible business. Today the airline is publishing its latest sustainability report looking back at the milestones and achievements of the last year and has also launched its new sustainability docuseries, with the first video being all about SAF. 

British Airways and Phillips 66 Limited sign first-ever UK-produced sustainable aviation fuel supply agreement

British Airways will become the first airline in the world to use sustainable aviation fuel produced on a commercial scale in the UK after signing a multi-year agreement with Phillips 66 Limited.

Thousands of tonnes of SAF will be produced for the first time in the UK at the Phillips 66 Humber Refinery near Immingham and will be supplied to British Airways to power a number of its flights from early 2022. 

The airline, which is driving to achieve net zero carbon emissions by 2050, will purchase enough sustainable fuel to reduce lifecycle CO2 emissions by almost 100,000 tonnes, the equivalent of powering 700 net zero CO2 emissions flights between London and New York on its fuel-efficient Boeing 787 aircraft.

The SAF will be produced from sustainable waste feedstock at the Humber Refinery, which will deliver its SAF supply to British Airways via existing pipeline infrastructure that feeds directly into UK airports.

Sean Doyle, British Airways’ Chairman and Chief Executive, said:

This agreement marks another important step on our journey to net zero carbon emissions and forms part of our commitment, as part of International Airlines Group, to power 10% of flights with SAF by 2030.

The UK has the resources and capabilities to be a global leader in the development of SAF and scaling up the production of SAF requires a truly collaborative approach between industry and government.

We are excited to develop our relationship with Phillips 66 Limited further with a view to growing production capacity and using a wider range of sustainable waste feedstocks to supply our future flights.

The development of sustainable aviation fuel is a major focus for us and forms part of our commitment to achieving net zero carbon emissions by 2050 through a series of short-, medium- and long-term initiatives.

The airline’s parent company, International Airlines Group (IAG), is investing $400 million over 20 years into the development of SAF.

British Airways has existing partnerships with a number of technology and fuel companies to develop SAF plants and purchase the fuel.

The airline claims SAF can reduce lifecycle carbon emissions by over 80% compared to the traditional jet fuel it replaces.

Darren Cunningham, General Manager of the Humber Refinery and UK Director of Phillips 66

Humber Refinery General Manager Darren Cunningham, the Lead Executive for Phillips 66 in the UK, said the announcement reflects the importance the aviation and energy industries are placing on sustainability and the continued development, adoption and scaling up of sustainable aviation fuel.

He said:

The Humber Refinery was the first in the UK to co-process waste oils to produce renewable fuels and now we will be the first to produce SAF at scale, and we are delighted British Airways is our first UK customer.

We’re currently refining almost half a million litres of sustainable waste feedstocks a day, and this is just a start.

Markets for lower-carbon products are growing, and this agreement demonstrates our ability to supply them.

This agreement with British Airways aligns with our strategy to create a refinery of the future, where we’re producing fuels from waste, being a critical part of the electric vehicle supply chain, reducing the carbon intensity of our processes through carbon capture and using hydrogen to power the refinery.

It secures long-term business in an ever-changing world

Last year Phillips 66 Limited invested significantly to expand its production of fuels from waste feedstocks. The investment is part of a broader energy transition plan to reduce the carbon intensity of its refinery operations and products that support 1,000 Humber Refinery jobs.