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Sustainable aviation fuel: five ways travel managers can move from ambition to action
Sustainability targets are one thing. Turning them into practical action is another.
Sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) is increasingly part of that conversation, offering organisations a way to reduce emissions associated with business travel. But questions around cost, availability, reporting and even what SAF actually is can make it difficult for travel managers to know where to begin.
At Business Travel Show Asia Pacific, industry experts explored how travel managers can cut through that complexity and start taking practical steps.
Here are five lessons for getting started:
Insights from Beyond the headlines: Practical SAF Guidance for APAC travel managers, presented at Business Travel Show Asia Pacific 2026 - published as a marketing piece by Business Travel Show Asia Pacific
🎥 Watch on demand: from the show floor
1. Understand what you're buying
SAF is a lower-emission alternative to conventional jet fuel, produced from renewable feedstocks. Crucially, it isn't the same as carbon offsetting: SAF reduces emissions within the aviation value chain, rather than compensating for emissions elsewhere.
Travel managers don't need to become fuel experts, but understanding terms such as book and claim, Scope 3 and SAF certificates will help them ask better questions and make more informed decisions.
2. Connect SAF to your wider sustainability strategy
SAF shouldn't sit in isolation within the travel programme.
For many organisations, business travel contributes to Scope 3 emissions, making collaboration with sustainability, procurement and finance teams essential. Start with your company's wider sustainability goals and identify where travel can make a meaningful contribution.
3. Don't get caught up in where the fuel is used
SAF doesn't necessarily need to be physically used on the aircraft your employees are flying on.
Through mechanisms such as book and claim, organisations can support SAF entering the wider aviation ecosystem and claim the associated emissions reduction.
This can be particularly valuable in Asia Pacific, where SAF availability varies significantly between markets.
4. Ask for credible data
As sustainability claims increase, credible reporting matters.
Ask airline and travel partners how SAF is allocated, what emissions-reduction data you'll receive and how that information is verified.
SAF isn't a silver bullet for sustainable travel, so being clear about what an investment can—and cannot—achieve will also help avoid overstating its impact.
5. Start small, then build
You don't need a perfect SAF strategy before taking action.
Review the SAF programmes available through your airline partners, speak to your TMC and involve your sustainability team. Even a small initial investment can provide valuable experience and create a foundation to build on.
The important thing is to start.
Concluding remarks: Turn ambition into action
SAF is only one part of the journey towards more sustainable business travel. But it is an option available to travel managers today.
By building their knowledge, working with the right internal and external partners, demanding credible data and taking achievable first steps, travel managers can begin turning sustainability commitments into practical action.