United Airlines made aviation history (last year), completing a flight between Chicago and Washington DC, using a slightly less environmentally disastrous fuel source—or, as they would prefer you call it, “sustainable aviation fuel” or SAF in aviationspeak.
The flight occurred aboard a Boeing 737 MAX 8 filled with 100 passengers and used around 500 gallons of fuel made up of fats, cooking oils, and grease, produced by the company World Energy. United said the fuel blend emits 80% less carbon dioxide than conventional alternatives over the course of its life cycle.
Many planes already use a mix of SAF’s and regular jet fuel, but current regulations limit airlines to a 50-50 mix at most. United’s demonstration flight was meant to serve as a kind of test showing the possibility of a 100% SAF flight; one engine on the flight ran on sustainable fuel while the other was powered by jet fuel. The company said its Eco-Skies Alliance program has contributed to the purchase of over 7 million gallons of SAF this year.
While SAFs are preferable to traditional fuel when used in flight, the technology needed to produce the fuel itself isn’t yet sustainable. It’s also extremely expensive. Currently, SAFs cost about four times as much as conventional fuel, according to Aviation Today. For a sense of scale, Delta Airlines CEO Ed Bastian told Bloomberg a year’s worth of the nation’s current SAF supply would be needed to fill its fleet... for a single day.
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