United is first airline to purchase SAF for use at O’Hare International Airport

United Airlines has become the first airline to purchase sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) for use at O’Hare International Airport (ORD). Gov. JB Pritzker joined the airline’s leadership at ORD to highlight the role that Illinois’ SAF tax credits played in bringing sustainable aviation fuel to one of the largest airports in the U.S.

SAF producer Neste will provide up to 1 million gallons of Neste MY Sustainable Aviation Fuel to United at ORD in 2024 with the first supply arriving in August.

United was the first airline to create a goal of reaching net zero greenhouse gas emission by 2050, without relying on voluntary carbon offsets, and remains a U.S. industry leader in the purchase and use of SAF. The airline purchased more sustainable fuel than any U.S. airline in 2023 and the agreement with Neste makes O’Hare the fifth airport where United has purchased SAF for operational use.

“Since day one as Governor, I’ve committed to making Illinois a national leader in sustainability and clean energy, which is why I was proud to support a nation-leading SAF tax credit last year,” said Gov. Pritzker. “Illinois’s position as a hub of innovation with some of the most connected airports in the country perfectly aligns with the work of companies like United to build a more sustainable future for travel and reach our shared goal of zero emissions.”United has now purchased SAF for airports in Los Angeles, San Francisco, Chicago, London and Amsterdam.

“I’m pleased to see United Airlines making this significant move forward by using sustainable aviation fuel daily in flights from O’Hare,” U.S. Sen. Tammy Duckworth says. “One of the most important things we can do to make American aviation more sustainable is increase the supply of SAF. At the federal level, I’ve been pushing for the increased use of SAF, and I [will] keep pushing to increase the supply of American-grown, American-made SAF, a true win-win solution that supports domestic farmers and blenders while reducing our nation’s carbon footprint.”

In its 85 years in business, Gaeta Recycling has operated a lot of machines. Michael Portannese is the fifth generation of his family to lead the company. Serving 30 municipalities in central New Jersey, Gaeta Recycling processes upwards of 720 tons of waste material per day. Moving material is at the heart of his business and, over the years, he has watched loading equipment become increasingly sophisticated and complex. But for his most recent purchase, Portannese was ready to try a different approach.

United says it advocates for legislation to grow the SAF market and helped push for the successful adoption of a federal SAF Blender’s Tax Credit, Department of Transportation grants to promote SAF usage and incentives for hydrogen production and carbon capture. At the state level, the airline has helped secure the passage of SAF tax credits in Illinois, Colorado, California and Washington that encourage the purchase of SAF for local airports.