United leads airline switch to sustainable aviation fuel
United’s Eco-Skies Alliance lined up 3.4 million gallons of SAF from corporate buyers, while United said it has already purchased nearly 8 million gallons since 2016.
United Airlines in February 2023 launched a $100 million sustainable aviation fuel fund after corporate partners in its Eco-Skies Alliance lined up 3.4 million gallons of SAF for the year.
United was the first U.S. airline to test SAF in 2009, made its first investment in SAF technology in 2015 and became the first U.S. airline to use SAF for regularly scheduled flights in 2016, when it began commercial-scale biofuel service from Los Angeles International Airport. United has purchased nearly 8 million gallons of SAF since 2016 and pledged to cut its carbon intensity 50% by 2035 from 2019 levels.
In May 2022, United signed an agreement for the right to buy up to 52.5 million gallons of Neste MY Sustainable Aviation Fuel. In January 2023, United announced plans to purchase up to 2.7 billion gallons of SAF from future agreements and investments. Last July, United was set to receive up to 1 million gallons of Neste SAF at Chicago O’Hare International Airport through the end of 2024, and O’Hare was the fifth airport where it had purchased SAF for operations. United became the first U.S. passenger airline to use a SAF blend at Newark Liberty International Airport and Washington Dulles International Airport in 2024.
United says SAF can cut lifecycle greenhouse gas emissions by up to 85% versus conventional jet fuel, and it puts the industry's share of global greenhouse gas emissions at roughly 3%. According to BloombergNEF, SAF typically costs two to three times more than conventional jet fuel. Reuters counted 165 SAF projects announced over the past 12 years, but only 36 materialized.
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