by Lacey Pfalz
Last updated: 10:35 AM ET, Wed July 31, 2024
United Airlines will become the first airline to purchase sustainable aviation fuel for use at Chicago’s O’Hare International Airport (ORB), which will begin this August.
The airline partnered with SAF producer, Neste, to provide up to one million gallons of Neste MY Sustainable Aviation Fuel 2 to United for use at O’Hare International. The first supply is set to be delivered in August.
The announcement came on July 31, with Illinois Governor JB Pritzker celebrating the move.
"Since day one as Governor, I've committed to making Illinois a national leader in sustainability and clean energy, which is why I was proud to support a nation-leading SAF tax credit last year," said Governor JB Pritzker. "Illinois's position as a hub of innovation with some of the most connected airports in the country perfectly aligns with the work of companies like United to build a more sustainable future for travel and reach our shared goal of zero emissions."
Chicago’s O’Hare is the fifth airport in the world where United has purchased SAF for operational use, the most airports of any U.S. airline. The airline is also using it in Los Angeles, San Francisco, Chicago, London and Amsterdam.
SAF is a sustainable alternative to conventional jet fuel that reduces greenhouse gas emissions by up to 85 percent on a lifecycle basis, and can be used with existing fuel systems and aircraft engines.
"This is what happens when innovation, leadership and policy come together," said United President Brett Hart, who celebrated the announcement at O’Hare with the Illinois governor. "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."
The purchase is partly paid for by Eco-Skies Alliance, a collection of companies that work together to share the “green premium.” In addition to United Airlines, other members include Bank of America, Thermo Fisher Scientific, Salesforce, Meta and others.
United Airlines was the first airline to create a net zero greenhouse gas emission target goal by 2050 without relying on carbon offsets and created the United Airlines Ventures Sustainable Flight Fund. United has been advocating for legislation to grow the SAF market, secure SAF tax credits at the state level and helped found the SAF Coalition, a consortium of over 40 airlines and aircraft operators, airports, labor union, biofuel producers and agricultural enterprises.
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