American Airlines and Google announced a sustainable aviation fuel certificate agreement on Tuessday that the companies say will support 35 million gallons of SAF over the next three years.
The fuel will be purchased by American Airlines and delivered to Chicago O’Hare International Airport through existing infrastructure. According to American, the SAF portion will be produced from waste feedstocks, including used cooking oil.
Google will receive the environmental benefits through the SAFc Registry to address emissions from employee business travel. The companies said the agreement is expected to account for nearly 300,000 metric tons of carbon dioxide equivalent emissions reductions and enabled American to reach a long-term SAF offtake agreement with Valero Marketing and Supply Company.
“Our industry-leading agreement with Google is a critical step forward in reducing emissions from our operations,” said Jill Blickstein, American Airlines’ chief sustainability officer. “By working with leaders like Google who share our commitment to innovation, we’re helping to grow demand for SAF and support the development of a stronger, more resilient market.”
The agreement comes as IATA Director General Willie Walsh said Sunday that the airline industry’s 2050 net-zero target may need to be reviewed as SAF production and access to carbon credits remain below current targets. According to IATA, SAF production is expected to reach 2.4 million tons this year, enough to cover 0.8% of airline fuel demand.
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