United Airlines has purchased Neste’s Sustainable Aviation Fuel (SAF) for Chicago O’ Hare International Airport.
Neste will provide up to 1 million gallons of its MY Sustainable Aviation Fuel to the airline until the end of 2024, with the first supply arriving this month.
The first supply of the SAF will be blended with conventual jet fuel. It will arrive at O’Hare from Neste’s newly commissioned SAF terminal capacity in Houston.
The partnership follows Illinois’ enactment of the SAF Purchase Credit for air carriers. It makes O’Hare the fifth airport in which United has purchased SAF for operational use.
The airline has also helped to push for the successful adoption of a federal SAF Blender’s Tax Credit in Illinois, Colorado, California and Washington.
Governor JB Pritzker said: “Illinois’s 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.”
Alexander Kueper, Vice President of Renewable Aviation Business at Neste, added: “We are excited to expand our partnership with United and see our SAF being used at one of the major airports in the US.
“It underlines our commitment to supporting the US aviation industry in its efforts to decarbonise and shows the important role that policy supports like the federal SAF 40B credit and the Illinois’ SAF Purchase Credit play in accelerating SAF usage.”
United has purchased SAF for airports in Los Angeles, San Francisco, Chicago, London and Amsterdam.