Swedavia Expands SAF Procurement in Sweden with New Partners

Swedish airport operator Swedavia AB (Swedavia) has expanded its joint procurement initiative for Sustainable Aviation Fuel (SAF), bringing in Luleå Municipality and Aviator Airport Alliance as new partners. The collaboration aims to reduce carbon emissions from business travel and aggregate demand for lower-emission biofuels ahead of upcoming European Union mandates. According to a Swedavia press release, the 2025 joint procurement round secured a total of 300 tonnes of SAF.

The initiative allows public and private organizations to purchase SAF, helping them meet corporate sustainability targets while contributing to the aviation industry's broader decarbonization efforts. Luleå is the first Swedish municipality to join the program, a significant step for a region dependent on air travel. For its part, Aviator Airport Alliance, a provider of aviation services, expects its participation to reduce emissions from its 2025 business travel by approximately 50%.

The Procurement Model and New Partners

Swedavia, which has been procuring SAF for its own business travel since 2016, began inviting external partners to join its aggregated purchasing model in 2019. This approach allows smaller entities to access SAF, which is typically more expensive and difficult to source than conventional jet fuel. Of the 300 tonnes of SAF ordered for 2025, Swedavia's own portion accounts for 215 tonnes.

Carina Sammeli, Chair of the Municipal Executive Committee in Luleå, highlighted the importance of the partnership. "Due to our geographical location, we in Luleå are dependent on air travel," she stated. "But at the same time, we must take responsibility for this and contribute to reducing the climate impact of aviation. Our collaboration with Swedavia is an important part of that work."

For Aviator Airport Alliance, the investment aligns with a wider sustainability strategy. The company is also electrifying its Ground Support Equipment (GSE) fleet and utilizing HVO100 biofuel, with a goal of achieving 100% CO2 neutrality in its Swedish operations by 2025. Jonas Brundin, Managing Director at Aviator, commented on the impact of the SAF purchase. "This investment means that we will reduce about 50 percent of the emissions from our business travel in 2025," Brundin confirmed.

Therese Forsström, Head of Sustainable Development at Swedavia, emphasized the collaborative nature of the program. "For us, it is very positive to be able to show together with other stakeholders that it is already possible today to significantly reduce aviation's fossil climate impact by choosing SAF," Forsström said in a statement.

Regulatory Framework and National Goals

The expansion of Swedavia's initiative comes as the European aviation industry prepares for stricter environmental regulations. The EU's ReFuelEU Aviation Initiative mandates a minimum 2% SAF blend for all fuel supplied to EU airports starting in 2025. This requirement will increase progressively, reaching 70% by 2050, creating a predictable, long-term market for SAF producers.

All SAF supplied under this mandate must comply with the sustainability and emissions-saving criteria set by the EU's Renewable Energy Directive (RED). According to multiple industry sources, SAF can reduce lifecycle fossil carbon dioxide emissions by up to 80% compared to conventional jet fuel.

Sweden has set even more ambitious national targets. The country aims for its domestic aviation sector to be entirely fossil-free by 2030 and for all international flights departing from Sweden to be fossil-free by 2045. Initiatives like Swedavia's joint procurement are critical tools for achieving these goals by stimulating both supply and demand.

Industry Context and Impact

Joint procurement models are emerging as a key trend for advancing SAF adoption. By pooling demand, airport operators and corporate partners can create larger, more stable orders, which provides a stronger business case for fuel producers to increase output. This helps address the current challenges of high costs and limited availability that have slowed SAF uptake.

Swedavia itself has been a leader in airport sustainability, achieving fossil-free operations across its ten Swedish airports in 2020. By facilitating SAF purchases for other organizations, it extends its environmental efforts beyond its own operational footprint. The inclusion of a municipal government and a ground handling service provider demonstrates the broadening appeal of SAF as a viable tool for corporate climate action across different sectors connected to aviation.

As the 2025 ReFuelEU mandate approaches, such partnerships will become increasingly important. They provide a practical pathway for airlines, service providers, and corporate travelers to comply with new regulations and voluntarily exceed minimum requirements, accelerating the transition away from fossil fuels in air transport.

Why This Matters

This development signals a maturation of the SAF market, moving from niche purchases by large airlines to a more accessible, collaborative model. Swedavia's initiative provides a scalable template for how airports can act as hubs for regional decarbonization, enabling a wider range of public and private entities to participate. For the aviation industry, it demonstrates a tangible mechanism for building the demand-side certainty needed to encourage investment in SAF production capacity.

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