United becomes 1st airline to purchase sustainable aviation fuel for O’Hare International Airport in Chicago
United announced July 31 that it has become the first airline to purchase sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) for use at O’Hare International Airport (ORD) in Chicago, Illinois.
Gov. J.B. Pritzker joined the airline’s leadership at ORD to highlight the role that Illinois’ SAF tax credits played in bringing SAF to one of the largest airports in the U.S.
SAF producer Neste will provide up to 1 million gallons of Neste MY Sustainable Aviation Fuel™ to United at ORD in 2024 with the first supply arriving in August.
The SAF will arrive at Chicago O’Hare Airport via pipeline from Neste’s newly commissioned SAF terminal capacity in Houston, Texas, which expands the availability of Neste’s SAF to airlines that operate at airports east of the Rocky Mountains all the way to the East Coast.
United was the first airline to create a goal of reaching net-zero greenhouse-gas (GHG) emissions by 2050, without relying on voluntary carbon offsets, and remains a U.S. industry leader in the purchase and use of SAF.
The airline purchased more sustainable fuel than any U.S. airline in 2023 and the agreement with Neste makes O’Hare the fifth airport where United has purchased SAF for operational use—among the most locations of any U.S. airline.
“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,” Pritzker said. “Illinois’ 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.”
SAF is an alternative to conventional jet fuel that can reduce GHG emissions by up to 85 percent on a lifecycle basis—from production to end use—because it is made from renewable materials rather than drilled fossil oil.
SAF is among aviation’s best, most scalable options to push the industry towards net-zero emissions in part because it can be used right now with existing infrastructure—no changes to fuel systems or aircraft engines are required.
“This is what happens when innovation, leadership and policy come together,” said United President Brett Hart, who was at ORD July 31 with the 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 Gov. Pritzker and the Illinois Legislature passing tax incentives.”
United has now purchased SAF for airports in Los Angeles, San Francisco, Chicago, London and Amsterdam.
“I’m pleased to see United Airlines making this significant move forward by using sustainable aviation fuel daily in flights from O’Hare,” said U.S. Sen. Tammy Duckworth, D-Illinois. “One of the most important things we can do to make American aviation more sustainable is increase the supply of SAF. At the federal level, I’ve been pushing for the increased use of SAF, and I’m going to keep pushing to increase the supply of American-grown, American-made SAF, a true win-win solution that supports domestic farmers and blenders while reducing our nation’s carbon footprint.”
United is a chief advocate for legislation to grow the SAF market and helped push for the successful adoption of a federal SAF blenders tax credit, transportation department grants to promote SAF usage and incentives for hydrogen production and carbon capture.
At the state level, the airline has helped secure the passage of SAF tax credits in Illinois, Colorado, California and Washington that encourage the purchase of SAF for local airports.
To further develop and deploy SAF in the U.S. and advocate for policies that will help U.S. fuel producers lead this growing industry, United helped found the SAF Coalition, a consortium that includes more than 40 airlines and aircraft operators, agricultural enterprises, aircraft and aircraft equipment manufacturers, airports, technology developers, labor unions and biofuel producers.
SAF purchased for United’s flights is paid for in part through the company’s Eco-Skies Alliance, where participating companies work together to share the green premium, or the cost associated with purchasing lower-emission fuels.
Since 2021, the alliance has collectively contributed toward the purchase of more than 10.5 million gallons of SAF.
