KLM Endorses Wennink: Aviation Essential for the Economy and a Call for a National SAF Fund

Aviation Fuel/Sustainable Aviation Fuel (SAF)Business News/Analysis European Union (EU)Funding/Financing/Investing Netherlands Opinions Policy

December 16, 2025

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(KLM Royal Dutch Airlines) KLM supports the call in the Wennink report "The Road to Future Prosperity" for the government to invest in a national SAF fund. This fund will allow the Netherlands to accelerate the production of alternative aviation fuels (SAF) and make them more affordable, thereby stimulating the sustainability of aviation. Acceleration is only possible if the government and the sector join forces and the government takes a more active role. KLM urges politicians to adopt this recommendation.

KLM embraces the recommendations and conclusions of the Wennink report regarding the importance of aviation as a prerequisite for maintaining prosperity and innovative ecosystems in the Netherlands. Aviation and Schiphol are vital to our earning capacity: they connect the Netherlands to the world and are essential for trade, employment, and our international position. Therefore, we must invest together in a future-proof sector and not restrict it or burden it with additional national costs. This would damage our international competitiveness and our international connectivity – so crucial to our prosperity in the Netherlands.

KLM is investing heavily in cleaner, quieter, and more economical flying. Along with fleet renewal, SAF is currently one of the most effective ways to reduce CO₂ emissions from aviation: at least a 65% reduction over the entire lifecycle compared to fossil kerosene. KLM annually blends more SAF than the European mandate requires and has entered into a long-term purchase commitment for the construction of the first Dutch factory dedicated entirely to SAF production in Delfzijl. However, to achieve the shared ambition of 14% SAF blending in the Netherlands by 2030, alternative fuels must become affordable and widely available in the Netherlands more quickly. As with wind and solar energy, the government can make a difference by investing in the future of sustainable aviation.

We naturally endorse the Wennink report's conclusion that aviation is vital to the Netherlands' future prosperity. To maintain this position and accelerate sustainability, it's crucial that the government invests instead of imposing additional national burdens. With a national SAF fund, the government and the sector can jointly accelerate the sustainability of aviation. KLM is already investing in alternative fuels, but only with an active government role can we make scaling up and affordability possible. This is the perfect time to position the Netherlands as a leader in sustainable aviation.

Marjan Rintel - CEO KLM

A national SAF fund for "SAF Made in Holland"
The establishment of a national SAF fund aligns with European plans to accelerate the sustainability of fuels, the Sustainable Transport Investment Plan (STIP), and makes SAF Made in Holland possible. KLM believes a national SAF fund will focus on:

1. Make SAF affordable for airlines.
Ensure that airlines can actually use SAF by bridging the price gap with fossil kerosene through an incentive fund, making sustainable choices more attractive. Based on current prices, an annual investment of €60 million could already achieve an additional 1% SAF blend.

2. Accelerate production and availability of raw materials.
Improve access to sustainable raw materials for SAF production and remove barriers to accelerated construction of SAF infrastructure. This will enable the Netherlands to make significant strides in scaling up its own production.

3. Invest in (e)SAF innovation and become a European leader.
Support the development of new (e)SAF technologies and take the lead in European innovation initiatives. The government has already taken a first step in this direction by participating in a European pilot within the STIP program.

The national SAF fund can be financed with proceeds from the current national aviation tax. This allows the Netherlands and the Dutch aviation industry to become leaders in scaling up alternative aviation fuels, while ensuring that the national ambition of 14% SAF blending by 2030 remains achievable. READ MORE