United Airlines has revealed that it will initiate using Sustainable Aviation Fuel (SAF) on departing flights from San Francisco International Airport.
Further, It plans to introduce a SAF blend later this year at London Heathrow Airport. These actions could enable the airline to use about 10 million gallons of SAF in 2023, which is almost three times more than in 2022 and about ten times more than in 2019.
United Introduces SAF on San Francisco Airport Flights
United Airlines has announced that it will increase its use of Sustainable Aviation Fuel (SAF) in 2023. It plans to use a SAF blend at San Francisco International Airport and London Heathrow Airport later this year.
This move could result in the airline using nearly 10 million gallons of SAF in 2023, almost three times more than in 2022 and approximately 10 times more than in 2019.
United Airlines has invested more than any other airline in the future production of over five billion gallons of SAF. Further, The carrier has been using SAF blends at Los Angeles International Airport since 2016. At Schiphol Airport in Amsterdam since 2022. Subsequently, it will continue to use SAF at those airports in 2023.
In April, the airline received 1.5 million gallons of SAF for departing flights at San Francisco Airport. Further, the remainder of its SAF supply will be used at Los Angeles International Airport and Amsterdam’s Schiphol Airport.
United Airlines is expected to begin receiving SAF deliveries at London Heathrow Airport later in 2023. This will be the airline’s first participation in London Heathrow’s SAF incentive program.
Executive Insights
Lauren Riley, United’s Chief Sustainability Officer, remarked that United’s rapid increase in SAF use is remarkable.
She also noted that while 10 million gallons of SAF in 2023 is just a small part of the necessary quantity, United has invested significantly in producers that are using various methods, such as ethanol, algae, and CO2, to increase the supply of SAF.
United believes that these investments, in combination with partnerships with policymakers, businesses, and other airlines, will help to scale the SAF industry and achieve comparable success to solar and wind.
United Eco Alliance
This is an announcement about the third round of United’s Eco-Skies Alliance program, which aims to increase the use of Sustainable Aviation Fuel (SAF) on United’s flights by sharing the cost of purchasing lower-emission fuels.
The program was launched in April 2021 and has collectively contributed to purchasing nearly 15 million gallons of SAF. The newly announced participants include Audi, Bank of America, Cisco, Corporate Travel Management, DB Schenker, First Eagle Investments, Macquarie Group, and Thermo Fisher Scientific.
Neste provides the SAF that United is currently using. It is produced from sustainably sourced waste and residue raw materials such as used cooking oil and animal fat waste.
This type of fuel can reduce greenhouse gas emissions by up to 80% over the fuel’s life cycle compared to conventional jet fuel.
In the future, SAF could be made from other feedstocks such as household trash, forest waste, algae, or compressed CO2. United has invested in the future production of over 5 billion gallons of SAF, which is more than any other airline.
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United Commitment to Net Zero Emissions by 2050
United is the first airline to commit to achieving net zero carbon emissions by 2050 without relying on carbon offsets.
Apart from its Eco-Skies Alliance program, United also founded United Airlines Ventures. A venture fund to identify and invest in technologies and companies that can help decarbonize air travel. Including carbon capture, hydrogen-electric engines, electric regional aircraft, and air taxis.
To further support its commitment, United has created the UAV Sustainable Flight FundSM. Additionally, United recently became the first U.S. airline to display an estimate of each flight’s carbon footprint during the customer’s search.
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