by Mia Taylor
Last updated: 7:31 PM ET, Tue March 14, 2023
JetBlue and Shell Aviation are collaborating to bring additional sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) supplies to Los Angeles International Airport (LAX). The new fuel is expected to be available for use on JetBlue planes at LAX during the first half of this year.
SAF is a type of renewable fuel that can be used in existing aircraft without impacting the safety or performance of planes. The fuel is produced from a variety of renewable sources such as agricultural wastes and even used cooking oils. The benefit of the fuel is that it lowers lifecycle greenhouse gas emissions by about 80 percent compared to traditional petroleum-based fuels.
"We've long said we need multiple key stakeholders to step up to reach our aggressive emissions reductions goals. This deal with Shell is a key signal of the growing engagement of the major fuel producers to begin converting conventional jet fuel to SAF," said Robin Hayes, chief executive officer, JetBlue. "Shell's involvement, with their expertise in energy markets and logistics, is a validation of the SAF market's potential and highlights how critical the SAF transition of our hard-to-decarbonize industry is to establishing a more sustainable future of flight."
Shell has said it hopes to have 10 percent of its aviation jet fuel sales as SAF by 2030.
The global air travel and transport industry is responsible for about 3.5 percent of all drivers of climate change from human activities, according to a study published by the journal of Atmospheric Environment. The study evaluated all of the aviation industry's contributing factors to climate change, including emissions of CO2.
JetBlue has said that increasing SAF availability is critical to reaching larger airline industry goals to reach net zero by 2040. This sustainability goal will also be applied to JetBlue's planned integration of Spirit Airlines' fleet.
"JetBlue will continue to do its part to encourage a diverse and competitive SAF market and encourage the build-up of available supply and the economies of scale needed for SAF prices to compete with traditional fuel sources," the airline said in a statement.
The airline hopes to eventually reach a point where SAF is available throughout its network, incrementally replacing conventional fuels in order to drive down emissions. JetBlue has publicly committed to cutting its per-seat emissions in half by 2035.
Viridos's oil-producing algae tanks. (photo via United Airlines) ((photo via United Airlines))Other airlines are also gradually shifting toward sustainable fuels or working to diversify fuel supplies. Earlier this week, United Airlines announced that it is investing $5 million of its UAV Sustainable Flight Fund to Viridos, a biofuel company using microalgae to produce sustainable aviation fuel (SAFs).
Viridos is using bioengineered algae to create SAF without relying upon other sources. The company has already been able to produce seven times the normal amount of oil from its algae than wild types. The company's oil is estimated to produce 70 percent fewer emissions than traditional jet fuel.
United has invested in the future production of over three billion gallons of sustainable aviation fuel to date as part of its UAV Sustainable Flight Fund, which supports sustainable aviation fuel start-ups, promising $100 million in investments from United and partner organizations Air Canada, Boeing, GE Aerospace, JPMorgan Chase and Honeywell. The investments are also facilitating the company's goal to achieve net zero greenhouse gas emissions by 2050.
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