MAG welcomes new Government funding for production of Sustainable Aviation Fuels

Manchester Airports Group (MAG) has today welcomed new funding from The Department for Transport towards the development and production of Sustainable Aviation Fuels (SAF). 

Aviation Minister Mike Kane has announced 17 projects across the country will share £63m to accelerate SAF production, which will support up to 1,400 jobs. 

The investment, which will support the creation of a domestic SAF industry in the UK, is particularly good news for the North West.  As part of today’s announcement, sustainable aviation fuel project developers Essar and NorthPointe Energy received a total of £4.5m of funding. This will enable the development of SAF production at the Stanlow site, which already has an existing direct pipeline supplying aviation fuel to Manchester Airport. 

MAG – which owns Manchester, London Stansted and East Midlands airports – has a target to make its own operations net zero by 2038 and is working collaboratively with its airlines to facilitate the use of SAF.  In its Sustainability Strategy ‘Creating a sustainable future for all’, published in May 2025, MAG also set a target to reduce emissions intensity  of departing aircraft by 27% by 2035. 

Together with the UK’s SAF mandate and Revenue Certainty Mechanism, today’s funding announcement helps to deliver the UK aviation industry’s plan to achieve net zero carbon by 2050, as well as creating thousands of new green jobs across the country,  

MAG Chief Sustainability Officer, Neil Robinson said:  

“MAG welcomes the Government’s funding announcement today which will support the widespread production of Sustainable Aviation Fuel (SAF) in the UK and help the aviation industry reach its target of net zero by 2050.  

“I am pleased to see £4.5m of investment awarded to Essar and NorthPointe Energy, that will see airlines using Manchester Airport have direct access to SAF via the existing pipeline to the Stanlow production site.  

“This funding, together with the UK SAF Mandate and Parliament’s support of a Revenue Certainty Mechanism, play an important role in the creation of a domestic SAF industry which will support the creation of thousands of new green jobs and secure a future of sustainable flying.”