Alaska Airlines Invests in Sustainable Aviation Fuel

Alaska Airlines said today that it had signed an agreement with biofuel manufacturer Gevo Inc. to purchase its largest sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) offtake commitment to date—185 million gallons of SAF over five years beginning in 2026. This agreement was developed in conjunction with others in the oneworld alliance.

Diana Birkett Rakow, senior vice president of public affairs and sustainability at Alaska Airlines:

"Using sustainable aviation fuel is a significant part of Alaska's five-part path to reach net zero carbon emissions, and alongside others in the oneworld alliance, we are committed to creating a more sustainable future for aviation. SAF is the most immediate path we have toward decarbonisation of aviation, but we recognise there is significant work required ahead – including public policy action – to make SAF a viable, affordable option at scale."

Ann Ardizzone, vice president of supply chain at Alaska Airlines, said: 

"Alaska is proud to play a role in advancing this critical market for sustainable aviation fuels. Making SAF commercially viable at scale requires strong partners and action on all fronts. We appreciate the partnership of suppliers like Gevo in tackling this challenge."

In April 2021, Alaska announced the company's commitment to achieving carbon net zero by 2040, along with a five-step plan to achieve this objective.

The approach involves operational efficiency, fleet renewal, sustainable aviation fuel, electric or hybrid-electric aircraft over the long term, and credible carbon offsets only if technology cannot close the gap quickly enough to meet the airline's targets without them. 

Sustainable aviation fuel offers the greatest possibility for near-and medium-term decarbonisation, and Alaska has been working for over a decade to first test and then implement SAF.

In 2016, Alaska and Gevo achieved history by flying the world's first commercial flight powered by a 20 per cent blend of SAF from Seattle-Tacoma International Airport to Reagan National Airport in Washington, D.C. Today, Alaska uses SAF in its California operations and works with various producers and other partners to use and promote the future development of further SAF supplies.

In September 2020, oneworld became the first global airline alliance to set a goal of carbon neutrality by 2050, demonstrating its commitment to the industry's long-term sustainability. In addition to this pledge, the alliance has set an intermediate objective of 10 per cent SAF use by member airlines by 2030.

Source: PR Newswire

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