• Changi Airport is leading Southeast Asia in decarbonising air cargo with enforceable timelines, starting with a sustainable aviation fuel mandate in 2026 requiring all departing flights to use SAF, beginning with a 1 percent blend and rising to 3–5 percent by 2030 depending on availability
• Ground operations are transitioning to clean energy with over 100 EV charging points installed, all new airside light vehicles, tractors, and forklifts required to be electric from 2025, a goal of fully electrifying the fleet by 2040, and rooftop solar panels being deployed across airport facilities
• Waste management and sustainability practices are being strengthened through new recycling infrastructure, e-waste collection drives, and collaboration with industry partners to embed sustainability into shared operations, positioning Changi as a carbon-conscious and competitive air cargo hub

Changi Airport is quietly pulling ahead in a race few regional hubs have yet committed to: decarbonising air cargo operations with enforceable timelines and infrastructure to match.

While most of Southeast Asia’s gateways remain focused on throughput and expansion, Singapore’s aviation strategy is increasingly shaped by carbon limits – starting with a sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) mandate that will come into effect in 2026.

SAF mandate puts timeline pressure on operators

“As an airport registering a high volume of cargo on a daily basis, CAG is facilitating the adoption of sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) by airlines,” said Lim Ching Kiat, Executive Vice President, Air Hub and Cargo Development at Changi Airport Group.

All flights departing Singapore will be required to use SAF from 2026, starting with a 1 percent blend. That figure is expected to rise to 3–5 percent by 2030, depending on global availability. While the target is modest, the policy is one of the region’s clearest steps toward aligning air freight with emissions goals.

Airside operations go electric — or off-grid

Decarbonisation on the ground is advancing in parallel. Changi Airport has already installed over 100 EV charging points on the airside to support its electric baggage tractor fleet. From 2025, all new airside light vehicles, tractors and forklifts must be electric. The airport is targeting full conversion of all airside vehicles to clean energy by 2040.

“As airport partner needs evolve, the charging network will grow to over 300 points,” Lim said. Where electric alternatives aren’t yet viable, Changi is trialling renewable diesel as a transitional fuel.

Solar infrastructure is also being scaled up. Rooftop solar panels are being installed across the airport — including Cargo Agent Buildings — in what will become Singapore’s largest single-site rooftop system when completed in end-2025.

Waste management gains operational footing

Environmental targets extend beyond energy. At Changi Airfreight Centre (CAC), the airport has introduced new recycling infrastructure for tenants and holds regular e-waste collection drives. The measures are modest but signal a shift toward more systemic, operationally integrated waste reduction practices.

“In building a more sustainable air cargo hub, Changi Airport believes in the importance of adopting a broad-based and community approach,” Lim said.

Key focus areas include reducing energy consumption, electrifying airside fleets, improving waste management and working with industry partners to embed sustainability into shared infrastructure.

The shift is not purely environmental. As carbon reporting obligations increase and cargo owners demand cleaner end-to-end supply chains, environmental performance is becoming a competitive variable – not a PR concern.

Most regional hubs have yet to put deadlines or mandates in place. Changi’s combination of SAF regulation, airside electrification, solar investment and operational policy gives it a head start. Whether others in the region follow — or fall behind — remains to be seen.