• JetBlue, fuel suppliers, and airport authorities are working in tandem to decarbonise the aviation industry and make SAF readily available.
• Companies have formed partnerships for the regular and smooth supply of SAF.

The U.S. airline operator JetBlue has started incorporating sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) for commercial flights at John F. Kennedy International Airport (JFK) in New York.

This move sets a new benchmark in the company's 25 years of operation at JFK and is a major step in scaling up SAF production in the Northeast.

The airline, in 2024, inked a one-year agreement with World Fuel Services and Valero to produce at least 1 million gallons of SAF for it, increasing to an additional 4 million gallons if corporate partners cover the cost difference from traditional jet fuel.

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Ursula Hurley, chief financial officer, JetBlue, said: "JFK has been JetBlue’s home for 25 years, and our operations here should set the standard we envision for our entire network. Thank you to the many teams and partners who have helped make this possible. Incorporating SAF into our flights is an important lever in decarbonizing the aviation industry and expanding its availability to our Northeast airports is a big step.”

Diamond Green Diesel, a joint between Valero and Darling Ingredients, produces the SAF for JetBlue. Valero will mix the fuel with conventional jet fuel and later supply it through World Fuel’s distribution network. The blended SAF works swimmingly with existing aircraft and airport infrastructure, making the adoption much easier.

The bright side is that this fuel can reduce greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions by up to 88% throughout its lifecycle compared to conventional jet fuel, lowering environmental impact and supporting the decarbonisation of the aviation industry.

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The Port Authority of New York and New Jersey has changed the tone and tenor of SAF in this context with a 2021 study to understand the viability of transporting SAF to regional airports. This helped launch SAF-powered flights at LaGuardia Airport in 2022, followed by JFK’s first transatlantic SAF flight in 2023. The port authorities support the cause of SAF, playing an increasingly important part in achieving net-zero emission goals by 2050 and extending all their support for its development.

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Source: JetBlue