American Airlines has received the first CORSIA-certified batch of SAF delivered to a commercial airline. The carrier took delivery of the batch of Neste MY Sustainable Aviation Fuel at San Francisco International Airport.
Today (July 12, 2022) American Airlines announced that they have taken delivery of the aviation industry’s first-ever batch of CORSIA-certified SAF. CORSIA, or Carbon Offsetting Reduction Scheme for International Aviation, is a carbon offsetting and reduction scheme developed by ICAO. American took delivery of the Neste MY Sustainable Aviation Fuel™ at San Francisco International Airport (SFO) as part of a pilot program to certify SAF as CORSIA-eligible fuel that can be used by an airline to meet their emissions obligation under CORSIA. Neste is the world’s leading SAF producer and has been working closely with aviation industry stakeholders to accelerate its use.
In Tuesday’s announcment, Neste’s Executive Vice President – Sustainable Aviation, Thorsten Lange, said,
“Sustainable aviation fuel is widely acknowledged as a key element in achieving the aviation industry’s goals of carbon neutral growth from 2020 and reaching net-zero emissions by 2050. The pilot with American Airlines was a perfect opportunity for proving the feasibility of delivering CORSIA certified SAF and gaining useful insights into setting up the process and the challenges we need to overcome to enable the implementation of CORSIA.
“Cooperation with American, ISCC [the International Sustainability and Carbon Certification System] and all other stakeholders involved was absolutely critical in achieving this important milestone. We will be sharing our experiences in ICAO’s upcoming Environmental Report. Because in the end, we need cooperation with all stakeholders within the aviation industry to achieve the ambitious emission reduction goals.”
American Airlines’ Head of ESG, Jill Blickstein, added,
“American is proud to partner with Neste to demonstrate how SAF can meet the robust sustainability standards that ICAO has established for CORSIA. Our work together will also help demonstrate to American’s customers that SAF can meet these high standards.”
Neste MY Sustainable Aviation Fuel™ can reduce greenhouse gas emissions produced by flying by up to 80 percent over the fuel’s lifecycle compared to traditional fossil jet fuel. Neste’s SAF is produced from sustainably sourced, 100 percent renewable waste and residue raw materials. As a ‘drop-in’ fuel, it can power existing aircraft engines and airport fuel infrastructure, without need of further investment.
American Airlines’ purpose is to “Care for People on Life’s Journey.” Shares in the American Airlines Group, Inc., trade on NASDAQ under the ticker symbol AAL and the company’s stock is included in the S&P 500.
Source: American Airlines