American Airlines (American) and Google have announced the largest publicly disclosed sustainable aviation fuel certificate (SAFc) agreement between an airline and a single corporate customer to date.
The ldeal will support the use of 35 million gallons (132 million litres) of sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) over three years, delivering nearly 300,000 metric tonnes of carbon dioxide equivalent (CO2e) emissions reductions.
Under the agreement, American Airlines will purchase and receive physical SAF at Chicago O’Hare International Airport through existing fuel infrastructure. The fuel will be produced from waste-based feedstocks, including used cooking oil. Google will receive the associated environmental attributes through the SAFc Registry, which provides a transparent and traceable book-and-claim system for SAF certificates, helping the company address emissions linked to employee business travel.
The long-term commitment has enabled American to secure a new SAF off-take agreement with Valero Marketing and Supply Company, further strengthening the airline’s ongoing investment in lower-carbon aviation fuels.
Kate Brandt, Chief Sustainability Officer at Google, said: “This strategic collaboration with American Airlines demonstrates how companies can work together to scale critical sustainability technologies. By making this long-term commitment, we are sending an important demand signal to encourage investment and bring more SAF to market.”
SAF is widely regarded as one of the most promising pathways to reducing aviation emissions, with the potential to cut lifecycle greenhouse gas emissions by up to 80% compared with conventional jet fuel. The fuel is produced from renewable feedstocks such as waste oils and fats and can also be manufactured synthetically using captured carbon dioxide and renewable electricity.
