Singapore Starts Collecting the World's First Mandatory SAF Passenger Levy

Ticket sales opened April 1, with economy passengers paying S$1 to S$10.40 per seat depending on destination band.

Link copied to clipboard!

SAFpath News Desk

April 9, 2026

Image Source: SAF Path

Summary: Singapore's Civil Aviation Authority (CAAS) activated the world's first mandatory per-passenger SAF levy on April 1, 2026, with ticket sales now open for all flights departing the city-state. Economy passengers pay S$1 to S$10.40 per seat depending on destination. Actual flight levies begin October 1, 2026.

Singapore became the first country to implement a mandatory, per-passenger SAF levy, with ticket sales open since April 1, 2026, for all flights departing the city-state. The Civil Aviation Authority of Singapore (CAAS) introduced the Sustainable Aviation Fuel Levy covering passengers, cargo, and general aviation, with flight levies taking effect October 1, 2026.

The mechanism is structurally different from any existing SAF program: instead of airlines voluntarily purchasing SAF or booking certificates, the levy bakes SAF financing into every ticket sold at Singapore Changi, creating a procurement budget independent of individual airline commitments.

Economy passengers pay based on four destination bands: S$1.00 for Southeast Asia (Band I), S$2.80 for Northeast Asia, South Asia, and Australia (Band II), S$6.40 for Europe, the Middle East, and Africa (Band III), and S$10.40 for the Americas (Band IV). Premium cabin passengers pay four times the economy rate. Cargo operators face rates of S$0.01 to S$0.15 per kilogram. Business and general aviation aircraft are charged S$40 to S$6,500 per flight depending on aircraft size under ICAO codes A through F.

“The levy provides a mechanism for all aviation users to do their part to contribute to sustainability at a cost which is manageable for the air hub.” – Han Kok Juan, Director-General, CAAS

CAAS has established the Singapore Sustainable Aviation Fuel Company (SAFCo) to manage procurement, allocation, and administration of SAF and associated environmental attributes. Director-General Han Kok Juan stated the levy “provides a mechanism for all aviation users to do their part to contribute to sustainability at a cost which is manageable for the air hub.”

Singapore’s SAF uptake target is 1% in 2026, rising to 3-5% by 2030, in support of ICAO’s net-zero international aviation goal by 2050. The city-state has positioned itself as a regional SAF hub, having recently launched the Asia Pacific Sustainable Aviation Centre to coordinate industry development. Whether other major Asian hub airports adopt similar mandatory levy frameworks will be the central question in regional SAF policy over the next two years.

Source: Civil Aviation Authority of Singapore (CAAS)

Source:

THE SAF EXECUTIVE BRIEF

Policy shifts and regulatory updates.

Technology breakthroughs and market moves.

One concise read, every other week.

What to Read Next

Five Airports, Five Years: Delta Hands Shell the SAF Logistics Problem

The agreement covers neat and blended SAF at LAX, Portland, JFK, Boston and Minneapolis-St. Paul through 2030, with at least 15 million gallons in 2026 and Shell taking responsibility for aggregating supply across multiple chains.