Neste, United Airlines extended agreements for SAF supply in US, Netherlands
Neste announced Sept. 16 an extension of its existing agreement with United Airlines on the supply of sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) blended with conventional jet fuel to flights departing Chicago O’Hare International Airport in the U.S. and Amsterdam Airport Schiphol in the Netherlands.
The extension of the agreement reinforces the long-term, strategic collaboration between Neste and United, highlighting a shared ambition of contributing to greenhouse-gas (GHG) emissions reduction from aviation through the deployment of SAF.
Based on the extended contract, Neste’s SAF deliveries to United at Amsterdam began in June 2026 and continued through August 2026.
Deliveries of SAF to Chicago O’Hare from this contract started in July 2026 and are planned to continue until June 2027.
According to the agreement, Neste will supply Neste MY Sustainable Aviation Fuel™ blended with conventional jet fuel to United Airlines.
“United was the first airline in the world to fly on blended SAF in regular operations, and we’ve spent the years since proving it can work at scale in day-to-day flying—including being the first airline to purchase and use blended SAF at Chicago O’Hare,” said Lauren Riley, the chief sustainability officer at United Airlines. “Continuing our work with Neste across two continents reflects a shared conviction that SAF is available and capable of being scalable.”
In 2025, United used over 83,000 metric tons (roughly 27.7 million gallons) of SAF, a 104 percent increase over the prior year, making it the largest SAF user among major U.S. airlines that year based on publicly available reports, and expanded its SAF use to three additional hub airports in Newark, New Jersey; Washington, D.C.; and Houston, Texas; bringing the airlines’ SAF usage to six out of its seven domestic hubs.
At Chicago O’Hare specifically, United was the first airline to purchase and use blended SAF in August 2024.
O’Hare is United’s largest hub by daily departures and among the airline’s most important global gateways, making it a key location for scaling the use of blended SAF in day-to-day operations.
In Amsterdam, United has been using Neste MY SAF at Schiphol Airport since 2022.
United was the first airline globally to use SAF in ongoing operations.
Leveraging SAF and other measures to reduce GHG emissions, United said it is committed to reaching its net-zero emissions by 2050 goal.
“This extended agreement with United Airlines covering two international airports across two major aviation regions is a testament to our joint belief in the critical role of SAF in reducing aviation related GHG emissions,” said Carl Nyberg, an executive with Neste. “By continuing to make SAF available at two of United’s key hubs, we are proving that SAF is a readily available, scalable solution, and we look forward to continuing our longstanding collaboration.”
Neste’s SAF is made from renewable raw materials, such as used cooking oil and animal-fat waste.
SAF is certified for commercial use after blending up to 50 percent with conventional jet fuel and works seamlessly with existing aircraft engines and fueling infrastructure.
Today, Neste’s global SAF production capability is 1.5 million metric tons (around 515 million gallons) per year, and it is set to grow to 2.2 million metric tons (around 750 million gallons) in 2027, when the expansion of Neste’s Rotterdam refinery is completed.
