SINGAPORE, 2 December 2021: Members of the Oneworld Alliance intend to purchase more than 350 million gallons of blended sustainable aviation fuel from renewable fuels company Aemetis for their operations at San Francisco International Airport, further signifying the alliance’s commitment to environmental sustainability.
Once finalised, the agreements will cover the delivery of sustainable aviation fuel over a seven-year term beginning in 2024.
Oneworld members (Alaska Airlines, American Airlines, British Airways, Cathay Pacific, Finnair, Iberia, Japan Airlines, Qantas and Qatar Airways) will use sustainable aviation fuel for their operations at San Francisco Airport with the potential for additional Oneworld members to participate in the coming months.
The blended sustainable aviation fuel is 40% sustainable aviation fuel and 60% petroleum jet fuel to meet international blended sustainable aviation fuel standards.
Tuesday’s announcement follows a joint request for proposals by Oneworld member airlines to fuel suppliers – marking the first such effort announced by a global airline alliance to purchase sustainable aviation fuel and furthering the alliance’s commitment to the decarbonisation of aviation. It builds upon the alliance’s target of 10% sustainable aviation fuel use across the alliance by 2030 and underlines the alliance’s commitment to source sustainable aviation fuel collectively.
OneWorld was the first global airline alliance to commit to net zero emissions by 2050 – with sustainable aviation fuel a crucial pillar on the pathway to carbon neutrality.
The sustainable aviation fuel will be produced at the Aemetis Carbon Zero plant currently under development in Riverbank, California. The facility will use waste wood to produce cellulosic hydrogen, which is then combined with wastes and non-edible sustainable oils and zero-carbon intensity hydroelectric electricity to produce sustainable aviation fuel.
Sustainable aviation fuel has a significant environmental advantage over traditional jet fuel, with an up to 100% reduction in greenhouse gas emissions on a lifecycle basis. It is an important step in the decarbonisation of aviation in the near and medium-term, particularly for longer-haul flights.
Oneworld CEO Rob Gurney said: “This announcement for the purchase of sustainable aviation fuel continues to demonstrate what we can achieve together as an alliance and underlines the importance of collaboration in the important work to advance environmental sustainability. This latest milestone signals our commitment in driving forward momentum for the development of sustainable aviation fuel, which is crucial in reducing carbon emissions in the aviation sector.”
About Oneworld
Oneworld brings together 14 world-class airlines – Alaska Airlines, American Airlines, British Airways, Cathay Pacific Airways, Finnair, Iberia, Japan Airlines, Malaysia Airlines, Qantas, Qatar Airways, Royal Air Maroc, Royal Jordanian, S7 Airlines and SriLankan Airlines, and more than 20 of their affiliates.
