One United States airline has achieved a major milestone in the quest to eliminate carbon emissions from air travel.
American Airlines operated its first-ever flight partially powered by electro sustainable aviation fuel (eSAF).
The alternative fuel is a sustainable option produced from waste carbon dioxide and renewable electricity.
The carrier, along with sustainable energy company Infinium, delivered the eSAF to an American Airlines flight from Texas’s Corpus Christi International Airport (CRP) to Dallas-Fort Worth (DFW).
The operation marked “the first delivery of SAF made without biobased feedstocks to a commercial airport in the U.S.,” the airline said.
American blended the sustainable fuel with traditional aviation fuel in order to make it compatible with present-day aircraft engines.
According to the carrier, the flight proves how eSAF can be seamlessly added to current jet fuel supply chains across the aviation industry.
“Through our partnership with Infinium, we’re demonstrating how next generation technologies like eSAF can move from early investment to real-world application,” said American Airlines CEO Robert Isom.
Infinium’s eSAF can reduce lifecycle greenhouse gas emissions by over 90% compared to traditional aviation fuel, the company says.
Airlines are increasingly adding sustainable fuels into their operations. Delta also recently announced a major SAF initiative with Shell Aviation to expand sustainable fuel availability at five U.S. airports.
Still, less than 1% of jet fuel worldwide is sustainable, according to American.
“Scaling SAF production at lower prices is essential to reducing emissions, strengthening our long-term competitiveness, and continuing to deliver the connectivity and economic benefits that our customers rely on," Isom said.
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