United Airlines to Leads The Switch To Sustainable Aviation Fuel

United Airlines is leading the aviation industry towards a sustainable future. It launches the first Eco-Skies Alliance SM program. Working with United are global corporations that will purchase 3.4 million gallons of sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) this year. Among companies that participated in this effort by United included HP Inc, Nike, Siemens, Takeda Pharmaceuticals, and Boston Consulting Group to name a few.

This will bring the emissions 80% lower than the current conventional jet fuel. This will eliminate 31,000 metric tons of greenhouse gas emissions equivalent to flying 220 million miles.

According to United’s CEO Scott Kirby, “this is just the beginning”. The goal of the Eco-Skies Alliance Program is to buy more SAF and collaborate with the other industries. United is currently the airline that made the largest purchase of sustainable aviation fuel. United’s partner will also supply SAF to Los Angeles International Airport (LAX) making it accessible to the airline.

Zero Carbon Emission by 2050?

The aviation industry is said to be responsible for 12% of CO2 emissions coming from the transport sector. It is also responsible for 2% of the world’s total human-induced CO2 emissions. The good news is that the current aircraft that we have today is 80% more fuel-efficient than the ones used in the 1960s.

It has been reported that Airlines for America (A4A) is working towards achieving zero carbon emissions by 2050. According to A4A CEO Nicholas Calio, SAF production should increase by 84% annually until 2030 to meet the demand in the aviation industry.

Calio added that “to move the needle, we must all work together”. A4A CEO also said that the government needs to be an active partner for the aviation industry.

This move will be a big deal as more Americans are now traveling. The travel industry is also anticipating a large number of travelers by summer. The Transportation Security Administration (TSA) even recorded more than one million travelers at airports in the US for consecutive weeks.