Travellers flying out of Singapore to pay higher airfares from 2026
Singapore’s Minister for Transport Chee Hong Tat has announced steps that the country will be taking towards a more sustainable aviation future.
The steps have been laid out in the Singapore Sustainable Air Hub Blueprint, which Mr Chee launched at the Changi Aviation Summit 2024 today (19 Feb).
Source: Chee Hong Tat on Facebook
To reach the government’s goal of achieving net zero emissions by 2050, flights departing Singapore will be required to use sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) from 2026.
As SAF costs more than conventional jet fuel, air passengers can expect to pay more for their trips out of the city.
Net zero emissions goal by 2050
In his keynote address at the Changi Aviation Summit 2024, Mr Chee shared that Singapore aims to achieve net zero domestic and international emissions by the year 2050.
This means that the use of SAF will be “critical”, he noted.
However, since SAF costs three to five times more than conventional jet fuel, Mr Chee warned that it would hurt the country’s air hub and economy, as well as raise the cost of travel for passengers if they are “overly ambitious” with their sustainability goals.
Thus, there is a need to “balance sustainability and competitiveness to support the long-term growth of our air hub in the coming decades”.
Source: shawnanggg on Unsplash
To start things off, the government will require all flights leaving Singapore to use SAF from 2026.
It will aim for a 1% SAF uplift that year before raising the target to between 3% and 5% by 2030.
“We will monitor global developments and the wider availability and adoption of SAF in the next few years, before deciding on the SAF target beyond 2026,” said Mr Chee.
“In making the decision, we will aim to strike a balance between economic competitiveness and environmental sustainability, to achieve our objective of having sustainable growth.”
Sustainable aviation fuel levy will depend on distance & class of travel
Helping to achieve the uplift target is a SAF levy to “provide cost certainty to airlines and travellers”.
Mr Chee explained that the amount collected through the levy will go towards buying SAF based on its actual price at the time of purchase.
According to the Civil Aviation Authority of Singapore (CAAS), the SAF levy will vary depending on different factors.
For instance, it estimates that someone flying in economy class from Singapore to Bangkok will pay about S$3 more for their ticket.
On the other hand, flying to Tokyo or London might cost an extra S$6 and S$16 respectively.
The levies will be higher for those in premium classes.
CAAS stated that it will continue to review the implementation of the SAF levy in close consultation with stakeholders before revealing nearer the date of implementation.
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Featured image adapted from shawnanggg on Unsplash.
