Government announces funding to decarbonise aviation

£43 million has been allocated to fund ‘green’ aviation projects.

The government has announced £43 million in funding for green aviation projects, through Innovate UK and the UK Civil Aviation Authority. The funding will be allocated via a series of competitions planned to be launched in February, which will support research and development projects aimed at helping to deliver net zero aviation by 2050.

This funding is in addition to £63 million announced last July to accelerate the production of sustainable aviation fuel (SAF). Also aimed at driving SAF production is the Sustainable Aviation Fuel Bill, which is expected to come into force later this year.

Alexandra Herdman, Senior Policy Manager at Logistics UK said: “Air freight is a major contributor to the UK economy, adding £87.3billion GVA, supporting 151,000 jobs and representing 40% of total trade by value.

“This latest funding from the government will help the aviation industry to grow sustainably through the creation of green jobs and new technologies to reduce its environmental impact.

“Aviation is challenging to decarbonise due to the energy intensity of flying, and a reliance on fossil fuels, so the domestic development of SAF must be prioritised to ensure there is sufficient supply and subsequently more affordable than current prices.”