Singapore has deferred by one year the sustainable aviation fuel levy for air cargo, shifting the charge to services sold from 1 October 2027 and to flights departing Singapore from 1 January 2028. The Civil Aviation Authority of Singapore kept the passenger, general aviation and business aviation levy on the original schedule, with sales due to start on 1 October 2026 for departures from 1 January 2027.
The revised timeline gives freight operators more time to prepare for the new cost while Singapore continues building its SAF funding framework. The levy is designed to help finance centralised SAF procurement, and passenger-related charges remain unchanged as the city-state presses ahead with its decarbonisation plan. Reporting indicates the authority still plans to launch a tender for levy-funded SAF by the end of 2026, with first deliveries expected in mid-2027.
The delay affects carriers and forwarders serving Singapore’s cargo market, which faces a later start to fuel-related compliance costs than the rest of the aviation sector. The split timetable leaves freight operators with a one-year buffer, while airlines carrying passengers and operators of general and business aviation services remain on the original implementation path.