This week marks an exciting moment in our environmental sustainability journey – the first time sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) is being used in our operations at Oakland International Airport (OAK). Even more exciting? Southwest is the first carrier to bring SAF to OAK!
SAF is a drop-in fuel produced from non-fossil fuel sources that can result in a lower carbon intensity than conventional jet fuel on a lifecycle basis. SAF is crucial to decarbonizing aviation and to meeting our environmental sustainability goals.
The SAF we use in OAK comes from our partner Neste, a leading producer of renewable fuels, and is made from renewable and sustainably sourced raw materials, including used cooking oil and animal waste fat. Adding Neste’s SAF to our operation is a seamless process, because after blending with conventional jet fuel in accordance with applicable industry standards, it is compatible with both our existing aircraft as well as OAK’s current airport infrastructure. OAK is the third commercial airport in the United States to have SAF incorporated into the daily operations of a major U.S. airline, and we are excited that Southwest is a part of that milestone!
We are also engaging with corporate Customers on SAF “beta” partnership agreements supporting Southwest’s utilization of qualifying SAF in its operation. These important partners purchase certain Scope 3 emissions reduction rights resulting from Southwest’s use of SAF, contributing towards the cost premium of SAF over conventional jet fuel.
As previously shared in our 10-year Environmental Sustainability plan, Southwest has set a goal to replace 10% of our total jet fuel consumption with SAF by 2030, which is an important step towards our long-term goal to achieve carbon neutrality by 2050. Over the past 12 months, Southwest has been working with a number of partners and organizations to work towards our SAF goal and advance the development of commercially viable and scalable SAF.
We’re thrilled to be using SAF in our operations and to be the first carrier to bring SAF to OAK! Interested in learning more about our SAF efforts? Check out southwest.com/Planet.