A New Chapter in Sustainable Travel
Imagine booking a flight where part of the jet fuel powering your journey comes from the used cooking oil of the hotel you stayed at. Once considered mere kitchen waste, this unlikely fuel source is at the heart of a quiet revolution reshaping how we travel sustainably.

The aviation industry’s carbon footprint is under growing scrutiny, with Sustainable Aviation Fuel (SAF) emerging as the fastest route to net-zero emissions. But with SAF accounting for just 0.3% of total jet fuel use in 2024, scaling up is a pressing challenge.

The Big Problem: Supply Gaps & High Costs
Despite bold net-zero targets by airlines and cruise lines, SAF remains scarce and costly — up to 10 times more expensive than conventional jet fuel. Feedstock availability is a bottleneck, with competition from composting, animal feed, and biofuels.

For Travel & Tourism, this isn’t a transport-only problem. Rising fuel costs will inevitably increase travel prices, affecting every stakeholder from tour operators to hotels, impacting affordability and customer expectations.

The Game-Changer: Hotels as Fuel Suppliers
Enter innovative initiatives like The Erawan Group’s “Fry to Fly” project in Thailand. Launched in 2024, the group partners with BSGF to collect used cooking oil (UCO) from its hotels. This waste is converted into SAF, supporting aviation decarbonisation, generating extra revenue, and promoting food safety by preventing improper oil disposal.

The model is replicable:
• Hotels supply UCO as feedstock.
• Fuel producers scale up SAF with Hydroprocessed Esters and Fatty Acids (HEFA) technology.
• Airlines purchase the SAF, reducing lifecycle emissions.

As over 75% of current SAF capacity relies on HEFA, this approach is immediate and practical.

Beyond Hotels: How the Entire Sector Can Plug In

The report outlines roles for every travel business:
• Collaborators: Partner in policy advocacy and feedstock supply.
• Promoters: Run awareness campaigns, appoint Sustainable Fuel Ambassadors.
• Adopters: Buy and sell SAF certificates, report fuel usage.
• Investors: Fund R&D and SAF production facilities, like Jet2’s investment in a UK SAF plant.

Why It Matters: Travel’s Collective Responsibility
This is more than a technical challenge — it’s an ecosystem issue. Scaling up SAF requires a whole-sector engagement, from the cruise lines to the small tour operators. With global air passengers projected to exceed 10 billion by 2050, solutions like “Fry to Fly” represent a tangible, scalable path forward.

Closing Thoughts: Turning Waste into Wings
Rudolf Diesel envisioned biofuels powering transportation over a century ago. Today, hotels collecting cooking oil to fuel jets is bringing that vision to life. For the Travel & Tourism industry, embracing such circular economy solutions isn’t just smart business — it’s critical climate action.

Download the link from WTTC Research Hub where you can access the Report