Major Airlines Commit to Sustainable Aviation Fuel Deals

Multi-billion-gallon pacts position U.S. carriers to cut lifecycle GHG emissions up to 80 percent and accelerate 2050 net-zero timeline

CHICAGO, November 22, 2025 – United Airlines, Southwest Airlines and an expanding cluster of North American carriers this week announced fresh sustainable-aviation-fuel (SAF) supply contracts that, taken together, push total industry offtake commitments beyond five billion gallons – the largest single-year mobilization of low-carbon jet fuel on record.

The flurry of deals, anchored by United’s 1-billion-gallon synthetic-fuel accord with Cemvita and Southwest’s 25-million-gallon option with Valero at Chicago Midway, signals a decisive shift from pilot programs to scaled, pipeline-ready deliveries that will start displacing conventional Jet-A at major U.S. hubs in 2026. According to the International Air Transport Association, every billion gallons of neat SAF consumed avoids roughly 9 million metric tons of CO₂ across the fuel lifecycle – equal to removing 2 million passenger cars from the road for one year.

“SAF is no longer a boutique additive – it is becoming a core feedstock,” said Lauren Riley, United’s Chief Sustainability Officer. “These agreements give us line-of-sight to triple our 2025 SAF usage to 30 million gallons next year and put our 2050 net-zero target within reach without reliance on offsets.”

Market analysts at MarketsandMarkets estimate that North American SAF demand will compound at 42 percent annually through 2030, outpacing both Europe and Asia-Pacific as airlines leverage new production credits under the U.S. Inflation Reduction Act. United alone has now secured 2.9 billion gallons of future deliveries, while Delta (910 million) and American (620 million) follow closely, collectively covering 18 percent of the region’s projected jet-fuel burn by the end of the decade.

Neste, the world’s largest SAF producer, said its expanded contract to supply United at Houston (IAH), Newark (EWR) and Washington-Dulles (IAD) through 2025 will rely exclusively on waste fats and used cooking oil, cutting particulate emissions 50 percent versus petroleum jet while fitting existing turbine and fueling infrastructure. The Finnish refiner’s global name-plate capacity is on track to reach 2.2 million tons (750 million gallons) in 2027, a 47 percent jump from today.

“Policy certainty matters,” emphasized Carl Nyberg, Neste Executive Vice-President for Renewable Products. “Where states such as Illinois and California pair low-carbon fuel standards with offtake guarantees, capital flows – and airlines follow.”

About United Airlines

United Airlines and United Express operate approximately 4,900 flights a day to 362 airports on six continents. In 2024 the carrier used more SAF than any other U.S. airline and has committed to net-zero greenhouse-gas emissions by 2050 without traditional carbon offsets.