Sustainable Aviation
Neste and United Airlines Expand Sustainable Aviation Fuel Use at US Airports
Neste and United Airlines extend their SAF partnership to three major US hubs, enhancing sustainable aviation with existing infrastructure integration.
Neste and United Airlines Deepen Partnership to Expand SAF Usage Across Major US Hubs
The aviation industry is navigating a critical juncture in its quest for sustainability, with a collective goal to achieve net-zero carbon emissions by 2050. Central to this ambition is the adoption of Sustainable Aviation Fuel (SAF), a renewable alternative that holds the potential to significantly decarbonize air travel. Unlike conventional jet fuel derived from fossil sources, SAF is produced from renewable raw materials like used cooking oil and agricultural residues. This shift is not merely an environmental aspiration but an operational imperative, as airlines and fuel producers collaborate to build a viable market for lower-emission fuels. The journey is complex, marked by challenges in production scale, cost, and infrastructure, yet it is being propelled forward by strategic partnerships and supportive government policies.
In a significant move that underscores this industry-wide momentum, Neste, the world’s leading producer of SAF, and United Airlines have announced a major expansion of their partnership. This collaboration is set to introduce SAF to three new major U.S. airports, marking a tangible step in making sustainable air travel more widespread. The agreement highlights a shared commitment to reducing the carbon footprint of aviation and demonstrates the growing demand for renewable fuel solutions. By scaling up the availability of SAF at key hubs, both companies are not only advancing their corporate sustainability goals but also signaling to the broader market that the infrastructure for a greener future in aviation is actively being built. This partnership serves as a crucial case study in how collaboration can accelerate the transition to more sustainable energy sources within a hard-to-abate sector.
Expanding the Footprint: SAF Lands at Three New Hubs
The core of the announcement is the introduction of Neste’s MY Sustainable Aviation Fuel™ at three key United Airlines hubs: George Bush Intercontinental Airport (IAH) in Houston, Newark Liberty International Airport (EWR), and Dulles International Airport (IAD). This makes United the first commercial airline to use SAF at these airports, representing a notable “first-mover” achievement in the industry. The fuel, produced from 100% renewable raw materials, can reduce greenhouse gas emissions by up to 80% over its lifecycle compared to traditional jet fuel when used in its pure form. For practical application, the neat SAF is blended with conventional jet fuel to meet stringent aviation specifications before being used in commercial flights.
The logistics of this expansion are as important as the fuel itself. Neste is delivering the SAF to the airports through existing pipeline infrastructure from its terminal facilities in Houston. This detail is critical, as it demonstrates that SAF can be integrated into the current fuel distribution systems without requiring massive, cost-prohibitive investments in new infrastructure. The delivery timeline has been staggered, with supplies to Houston’s IAH beginning in July 2025 and continuing through October 2025. Deliveries to Newark and Dulles commenced in September 2025 and are scheduled to run until the end of the year. This phased rollout allows for a managed integration of the new fuel supply into the airports’ operational workflows.
This latest agreement builds upon a pre-existing relationship between the two companies. Neste had already been supplying SAF to United at San Francisco International Airport (SFO) and Chicago O’Hare International Airport (ORD) since August 2024. The decision to expand to three more hubs reflects a successful initial phase and a mutual confidence in the scalability of the SAF market. Both companies have been vocal about the importance of a supportive policy environment, citing state-level incentives like California’s Low Carbon Fuel Standard (LCFS) and Illinois’ SAF Purchase Credit as key enablers for their earlier collaborations.
“Introducing sustainable aviation fuel for the first time at our hubs in Houston, Newark, and Dulles is another significant milestone in United’s sustainability journey,” stated Lauren Riley, United’s Chief Sustainability Officer.
The Broader Context: Policy, Production, and a Push for Scale
The Neste-United partnership does not exist in a vacuum. It is emblematic of a broader trend fueled by a combination of corporate strategy and significant government support. The U.S. government has identified SAF as a critical component of its decarbonization strategy, rolling out powerful incentives to stimulate domestic production. Policies like the Inflation Reduction Act (IRA), which offers a tax credit of up to $1.75 per gallon, and the Renewable Fuel Standard (RFS) are designed to make SAF more cost-competitive with conventional jet fuel, which remains a primary barrier to widespread adoption. The White House’s “SAF Grand Challenge” further solidifies this commitment, setting an ambitious goal to scale U.S. production to 3 billion gallons by 2030.
These incentives are having a clear impact on the market. Projections show the U.S. SAF market is on a trajectory of rapid growth, with some forecasts predicting its value could rise from approximately $259 million in 2023 to over $2.2 billion by 2031. Production capacity is also expanding, with projections indicating a significant leap in output by the end of 2024. Neste itself is a major player in this expansion, with a current global SAF production capability of 1.5 million tons annually and plans to increase that to 2.2 million tons by 2027.
Despite the positive momentum, industry leaders are quick to point out that the work is far from over. In their joint announcement, both Neste and United emphasized the continued need for robust policy support. Carl Nyberg, Senior Vice President at Neste, noted the importance of more states enacting “proven incentive policy frameworks to accelerate the production of SAF.” This sentiment was echoed by United’s Lauren Riley, who stressed that the growth of the SAF market requires ongoing support from both state and federal governments to create sensible market incentives. Their statements highlight a crucial reality: while the technology and raw materials for SAF exist, its journey to becoming a mainstream aviation fuel is deeply intertwined with the policy landscape that governs it.
Conclusion: A Partnership Fueling the Future
The expanded agreement between Neste and United Airlines is more than just a supply deal; it is a clear indicator of the aviation industry’s evolving approach to sustainability. By bringing SAF to major hubs on the East Coast and in the South, the partnership makes a tangible impact on the availability of lower-emission fuel options and sets a precedent for other airlines to follow. The use of existing infrastructure is a particularly vital proof point, demonstrating that the transition to SAF can be more seamless and economically viable than often assumed. It reinforces the idea that progress can be made through practical, incremental steps that leverage current assets.
Looking ahead, the success of this and similar initiatives will depend heavily on the synergy between corporate action and government policy. The calls from both Neste and United for continued and expanded policy support underscore the fact that the SAF market is still in a nascent, growth-dependent phase. As production scales up and technology advances, the cost differential between SAF and conventional jet fuel is expected to narrow, but government incentives remain the critical bridge to get there. This partnership serves as a powerful model for how the private and public sectors can collaborate to tackle one of the most significant environmental challenges of our time, moving the entire aviation industry closer to its goal of a net-zero future.
FAQ
Question: What is Sustainable Aviation Fuel (SAF)?
Answer: SAF is a renewable fuel used in commercial aviation that is produced from renewable sources such as used cooking oil, animal fat waste, and agricultural residues. It can significantly reduce greenhouse gas emissions compared to conventional fossil-based jet fuel.
Question: Which new airports will receive SAF under the expanded Neste and United Airlines partnership?
Answer: The new agreement includes George Bush Intercontinental Airport (IAH) in Houston, Newark Liberty International Airport (EWR), and Dulles International Airport (IAD).
Question: How much can Neste’s SAF reduce greenhouse gas emissions?
Answer: In its neat (100% concentrated) form, Neste MY Sustainable Aviation Fuel™ can reduce greenhouse gas emissions by up to 80% over its life cycle compared to fossil jet fuel.
Question: Is new infrastructure needed to handle SAF at airports?
Answer: No, a key advantage highlighted by this partnership is that the SAF is delivered to the airports using existing pipeline infrastructure, where it is then blended with conventional jet fuel.
Sources
Photo Credit: Neste
Sustainable Aviation
SABA Members Back Infinium eSAF Facility With Long-Term Deals
Google, McKinsey, and others sign binding SAFc agreements to support Infinium Energy’s 100,000 MT/year Texas eSAF project.
Corporate members of the Sustainable Aviation Buyers Alliance (SABA) have signed binding, multi-year agreements to purchase sustainable aviation fuel certificates (SAFc) from Infinium Energy’s planned electro-sustainable aviation fuel (eSAF) facility in Texas. The commitments, announced on September 22, 2026, are designed to provide the financial demand signals necessary for Infinium to reach a final investment decision on the project.
In a press release issued by SABA, the organization confirmed that American Airlines (AA) will serve as the physical offtaker for the fuel, managing logistics and delivery. The corporate buyers purchasing the associated certificates include AVEVA, Bain & Company, Google, and McKinsey & Company. The agreement marks the first time SABA’s procurement model has been utilized to directly drive new production capacity for scalable sustainable aviation fuel.
Project Atlas production and environmental targets
Infinium Energy was selected through a SABA procurement process earlier in 2026 to provide ultra-low carbon eSAF. The fuel is produced using waste carbon dioxide and renewable energy, distinguishing it from traditional biofuel pathways that rely on agricultural or waste feedstocks.
The planned Texas facility, designated Project Atlas, is expected to have an annual sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) production capacity of 100,000 metric tons. According to the alliance, the contracted volumes will support an expected greenhouse gas abatement of 212,000 metric tons of carbon dioxide equivalent (mtCO2e). SABA equates this emissions reduction to approximately 3,500 commercial flights between John F. Kennedy International Airport (JFK) and Los Angeles International Airport (LAX).
“We’re proud to partner with SABA members including AVEVA, Bain & Company, Google, McKinsey, and others, as well as American Airlines to bring Infinium Energy’s next world scale eSAF facility to life. Their commitment reflects a shared conviction that decarbonizing aviation requires real investment in next-generation supply,” said Robert Schuetzle, CEO of Infinium Energy.
Aggregating demand through book-and-claim
The transaction utilizes a book-and-claim model. Corporate buyers purchase the SAFc to claim the environmental benefits against their business travel emissions, while the physical fuel is delivered to partner airlines. This mechanism allows corporations to fund SAF production even when the physical fuel cannot be delivered directly to the airports their employees use.
American Airlines will manage the physical integration of the eSAF into the commercial aviation fuel supply chain. Jill Blickstein, Chief Sustainability Officer at American Airlines, stated that the corporate commitments broaden participation in the SAF market and demonstrate how customers can collaborate with airlines and fuel producers to advance decarbonization.
SABA, a joint initiative of the Environmental Defense Fund (EDF), the Center for Green Market Activation (GMA), and RMI, has aggregated $500 million in SAFc demand from 35 companies to date. Aviation currently accounts for approximately 2 to 3 percent of global greenhouse gas emissions.
“Novel technologies are critical to meeting future demand for sustainable aviation fuel, but they will not be operational in time without investments made today. This procurement demonstrates how aggregated, long-term demand can help take promising eSAF projects from idea to reality,” said Jon Creyts, CEO of RMI.
AirPro News analysis
We view this agreement as a critical structural step for the eSAF market. Power-to-Liquid (PtL) fuels like those planned for Project Atlas face a steep commercialization barrier. They are highly capital-intensive to build and currently produce fuel at a significant cost premium compared to both conventional Jet A and HEFA-based SAF derived from waste fats and oils.
Airlines operate on thin margins and generally cannot absorb the full green premium of eSAF alone. By unbundling the environmental attributes from the physical fuel, the SABA model allows highly capitalized corporate entities like Google and McKinsey & Company to absorb that premium. More importantly, signing binding, multi-year offtake agreements provides the revenue certainty that infrastructure lenders require before financing first-of-a-kind industrial facilities. If Project Atlas reaches a positive final investment decision based on these contracts, it will validate the book-and-claim model as a viable financing mechanism for next-generation aerospace infrastructure.
Sources: Sustainable Aviation Buyers Alliance via PR Newswire
Photo Credit: Sustainable Aviation Buyers Alliance
Sustainable Aviation
EU Exceeds 2025 SAF Mandate at 2.79 Percent Blend Rate
EASA reports EU airports hit 2.79% SAF blend in 2025, surpassing the 2% ReFuelEU mandate with 1.1M tonnes supplied.
The European Union surpassed its initial Sustainable Aviation Fuel (SAF) mandate in 2025, with SAF accounting for 2.79 percent of all jet fuel supplied to EU airports during the first mandatory reporting year.
According to the 2026 ReFuelEU Aviation Annual Technical Report published by the European Union Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) on September 17, 2026, fuel suppliers delivered 1.1 million tonnes of SAF against a total aviation fuel supply of 39.3 million tonnes. The 2.79 percent blend rate comfortably exceeded the 2 percent minimum required by the ReFuelEU regulation for 2025. This uptake resulted in an estimated reduction of 3.77 million tonnes of CO2 equivalent greenhouse gas emissions.
“We are pleased to confirm that the SAF mandate under ReFuelEU Aviation was not only met but exceeded,” EASA Executive Director Florian Guillermet stated in the agency’s press release.
Compliance and distribution across European hubs
The EASA report indicates high compliance rates across the sector. Ninety-three percent of aircraft operators and 90 percent of fuel suppliers fulfilled their reporting obligations in 2025. EASA noted that noncompliance among aircraft operators was primarily limited to small business jet operators, nonscheduled carriers, and third-country operators that failed to respond to competent authorities.
SAF distribution reached 121 Airports across all 27 Member States, representing 79 percent of all Union airports. Uptake was heavily concentrated at major European hubs. Amsterdam Airport Schiphol (AMS) accounted for 29 percent of the tracked SAF supply, followed by Frankfurt Airport (FRA) at 8 percent and Paris Charles de Gaulle Airport (CDG) at 7 percent.
Supply chain dynamics and feedstock dependencies
While the headline blending figures demonstrate regulatory success, the technical report reveals a structural reliance on imported raw materials. Although 86 percent of the SAF supplied at EU airports was refined domestically within the European Union, 85 percent of the underlying feedstocks originated from outside the bloc.
The primary feedstock utilized was Used Cooking Oil (UCO) processed via the Hydroprocessed Esters and Fatty Acids (HEFA) pathway. Of the imported feedstocks, 61 percent originated from China, with additional volumes sourced from Malaysia and Indonesia. On the refining side, Neste’s Rotterdam facility alone produced 33 percent of all European SAF in 2025.
AirPro News analysis
The successful implementation of the 2 percent mandate in 2025 proves that the logistical framework for SAF distribution at major European hubs is functional. However, the heavy reliance on Asian Used Cooking Oil presents a long-term vulnerability for European aviation. As the ReFuelEU mandate scales to 6 percent in 2030, the Regulations will also introduce sub-mandates for synthetic aviation fuels (e-fuels). With approximately 50 synthetic fuel projects awaiting final investment decisions and no large-scale e-fuel facilities currently operational in Europe, we anticipate significant capital mobilization will be required over the next 36 months to prevent future supply bottlenecks and reduce dependency on imported biomass.
Photo Credit: European Union Aviation Safety Agency
Sustainable Aviation
Montana Renewables Cuts SAF Expansion Cost to $137M
Calumet’s Montana Renewables targets 200M gallons of SAF annually by 2028 for $137M, down from a $1.2B plan.
Calumet, Inc. and its subsidiary Montana Renewables, LLC announced a revised expansion plan on September 1, 2026, that will scale SAF production to 200 million gallons annually by 2028 for a fraction of the originally projected cost.
By repurposing existing refining equipment at the Great Falls, Montana facility, the company expects to complete the MaxSAF project with only $137 million in remaining capital. This abandons a previous $1.2 billion megaproject design. The pivot eliminates the need for third-party equity and minimizes debt while accelerating domestic sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) capacity.
Capital efficiency and Department of Energy funding
The original Phase 2 plan contemplated $1.2 billion in capital expenditure. The revised strategy captures 70 percent of the expected benefit for 15 percent of the cost. The financial restructuring involves an amended Loan Guarantee Agreement (LGA) with the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE).
The original LGA was executed in January 2025, with a $782 million first tranche funded in February 2025 to recapitalize Montana Renewables, LLC (MRL). Under the amended agreement, the company will make a final draw of $34 million. This is significantly lower than the original $658 million Phase 2 DOE funding limit.
Calumet CEO Todd Borgmann stated the Office of Energy Dominance Financing (EDF) supported the adjustment to the loan agreement.
“Our amended agreement with the DOE facilitates innovative technology and domestic energy security at a fraction of the original cost. EDF’s willingness to right-size the LGA reflects its ongoing support for Montana’s largest agricultural investment. We look forward to our continued collaboration with the DOE on the success of this project,” Borgmann said.
Borgmann credited the company’s engineering and operational teams for developing a project that maximizes output while drastically reducing the required capital investment.
Production timeline and capacity milestones
The Great Falls facility currently operates at a 60 million gallon SAF run-rate following a spring 2026 constraint removal. A scheduled turnaround in the fourth quarter of 2026 will tie in repurposed equipment from the adjacent Calumet Montana Refining facility.
Following the fourth-quarter integration, the company expects to exceed an 80 million gallon SAF run-rate by December 31, 2026. Production is projected to surpass 120 million gallons by spring 2027 and reach the 200 million gallon target by December 31, 2028.
Total renewable product sales, including renewable diesel and renewable gasoline, are targeted at 17,000 barrels per day by year-end 2028. This represents a 40 percent expansion. The expanded facility will consume 2 billion pounds of ranch- and farm-originated feedstocks annually.
AirPro News analysis
The revised MaxSAF expansion highlights a strategic shift in how producers approach SAF scaling. As noted by Aviation Week on September 2, 2026, the plan allows the largest US producer of SAF to more than triple its production capacity for barely 10 percent of the originally planned investment.
During Calumet’s second-quarter 2026 earnings call on August 7, 2026, the company confirmed that Montana Renewables completed performance testing of the newly installed MaxSAF catalyst, which met or exceeded expectations. By leveraging existing fossil-fuel infrastructure rather than pursuing multi-billion-dollar greenfield projects, producers can bring SAF to market faster and with significantly lower financial risk. This capital-efficient model may set a precedent for other refiners looking to enter or expand in the renewable fuels sector without diluting equity or taking on unsustainable debt.
Sources: Calumet, Inc.
Photo Credit: Montana Renewables
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