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United Airlines is the first airline to purchase sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) for use at Chicago O’Hare International Airport (ORD). The carrier announced yesterday that SAF producer, Neste, will provide up to one million gallons of Neste MY Sustainable Aviation Fuel™ to United in 2024 with the first supply arriving this month.
United was the first US airline to set a goal of reaching net zero greenhouse gas emissions (GHG) by 2050. This was to be done without relying on voluntary carbon offsets. The airline purchased more sustainable fuel than any US airline in 2023 and the agreement with Neste makes Chicago O’Hare International Airport (ORD) the fifth airport where United has purchased SAF for operational use.
SAF is an alternative to conventional jet fuel. It can that can reduce GHG emissions by up to 85% (from production to end use). SAF is among the airline industry’s most scalable options to push towards net zero emissions in part because it can be used right now with existing infrastructure. There are no changes to fuel systems or aircraft engines required.
In addition to Chicago O’Hare International Airport (ORD), United has purchased SAF for use at Amsterdam Airport Schiphol (AMS), London Heathrow Airport (LHR), Los Angeles International Airport (LAX), and San Francisco International Airport (SFO).
United President, Brett Hart, said:
This is what happens when innovation, leadership and policy come together. While the market for SAF is still in its infancy, there is a huge opportunity today for airlines and policymakers to work together to support its continued growth – SAF at O’Hare was made possible thanks to Governor Pritzker and the Illinois Legislature passing tax incentives.”
SAF purchased for United’s flights is paid for in part through the company’s Eco-Skies Alliance (ESA), where companies work together to share the “green premium,” or the cost associated with purchasing lower emission fuels. Since 2021, the alliance has collectively contributed toward the purchase of more than 10.5 million gallons of SAF. ESA companies include: Autodesk, Bank of America, BCG, DB Schenker, Envirotainer, First Eagle Investments, Marken, ThermoFisher Scientific, Salesforce, Meta, ZS, SEKO, Sidley Austin LLP, and Yusen Logistics.
Anthony’s Take: SAF has been a great initiative and how cool is it that planes can be flown using renewable, scalable fuel versus traditional fossil fuels? This is just the start and we should expect to hear other carriers making similar pushes in the future.
(Featured Image Credit: United Airlines.)
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Advertiser & Editorial Disclosure: The Bulkhead Seat earns an affiliate commission for anyone approved through the links above This compensation may impact how and where links appear on this site. We work to provide the best publicly available offers to our readers. We frequently update them, but this site does not include all available offers. Opinions, reviews, analyses & recommendations are the author’s alone, and have not been reviewed, endorsed, or approved by any of these entities.
