Russia is preparing to expand the use of Sustainable Aviation Fuel (SAF) as its aviation industry faces growing pressure to reduce carbon emissions. The latest step came from an agreement between Aeroflot and Gazprom Neft to explore the production and use of lower-carbon aviation fuel in Russia.
The two companies will work on a resource and economic model covering the entire SAF supply chain, from raw materials and production to delivery and use by airlines. They will also examine potential government support and financing mechanisms for new industrial production facilities.
The development comes as Russia prepares for international aviation requirements under the International Civil Aviation Organization’s CORSIA scheme.
Why Russia is turning to SAF
Sustainable Aviation Fuel is designed to replace or supplement conventional fossil-based jet fuel while reducing emissions over its lifecycle. Depending on the production method and feedstock, SAF can be produced from materials such as used cooking oil, agricultural waste and other renewable resources.
Unlike electric aircraft or hydrogen-powered aviation, SAF can be used in existing aircraft when blended with conventional aviation fuel, making it one of the more immediately deployable options for reducing aviation emissions. The International Air Transport Association estimates that SAF can reduce lifecycle carbon emissions by around 80% compared with conventional aviation fuel, although the actual reduction varies according to the fuel pathway.
Russia has already been testing its own SAF technologies. Gazprom Neft tested a fuel based on recycled cooking oil and animal fats on a jet engine in 2026, including simulated take-off, cruise and landing conditions. The tests are intended to contribute to the development of national standards for SAF components.
A new challenge for Russian airlines
The timing is significant because Russian international airlines will face CORSIA-related requirements from 2027. According to Russia’s Ministry of Transport, airlines will need to use eligible SAF or compensate for the environmental impact through the purchase of carbon units, depending on the applicable requirements. Russia is also establishing a national certification system involving agricultural producers, raw-material suppliers, fuel companies, logistics providers and airlines.
However, scaling SAF production will be a major challenge. Globally, SAF still represents a very small share of aviation fuel consumption. IATA expects global SAF production to reach around 2.4 million tonnes in 2026, or approximately 0.8% of total jet fuel consumption. Production costs also remain significantly higher than those of conventional aviation fuel.
Russia’s plans therefore go beyond developing a new type of aviation fuel. They involve creating an entire domestic supply chain, establishing standards and certification, securing feedstock and building sufficient production capacity.
For Russian aviation, SAF could become an important tool for meeting international environmental requirements without requiring airlines to replace their existing aircraft fleets. The Aeroflot–Gazprom Neft initiative suggests that the industry is now moving from laboratory testing toward examining how sustainable aviation fuel could eventually be produced and deployed on a commercial scale.
At the same time, Russia will be entering a global SAF market that is expanding rapidly. In Europe, SAF accounted for 2.8% of aviation fuel supplied at EU airports in 2025, exceeding the first mandatory ReFuelEU Aviation target of 2%.
The next question for Russia will therefore not simply be whether it can produce SAF, but whether it can produce enough of it at a competitive cost to support a large-scale transition in commercial aviation.
