In a significant stride toward sustainable air travel, American Airlines and Google have announced a groundbreaking agreement for sustainable aviation fuel certificates (SAFc). This partnership marks the largest publicly disclosed SAFc agreement between an airline and a single corporate customer to date.
The collaboration aims to unlock 35 million gallons of sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) over three years, leading to a reduction of nearly 300,000 metric tons of carbon dioxide equivalent (CO2e) emissions. This initiative underscores both companies’ commitment to environmental stewardship and innovation.
Fueling the Future: The Mechanics of the Agreement
Under this agreement, American Airlines will procure and receive physical fuel at Chicago O’Hare International Airport (ORD). The SAF portion will be derived from waste feedstockssuch as used cooking oil. Google will benefit from the environmental advantages of these purchases, helping to offset emissions from employee business travel through the SAFc Registry.
The long-term nature of this agreement has enabled American Airlines to secure a new long-term SAF offtake with Valero Marketing and Supply Company. This move reinforces American’s dedication to SAF and highlights the potential for scalable, sustainable solutions in the aviation industry.
Policy and Innovation: Driving the SAF Initiative
The agreement was facilitated by the Illinois General Assembly and Governor JB Pritzkerwho enacted a SAF tax credit. This policy support has been instrumental in bringing significant volumes of SAF to ORD, demonstrating the power of collaboration between industry and lawmakers.
Jill BlicksteinAmerican’s Chief Sustainability Officer, emphasized the importance of this partnership: “Our industry-leading agreement with Google is a critical step forward in reducing emissions from our operations. By working with leaders like Google who share our commitment to innovation, we’re helping to grow demand for SAF and support the development of a stronger, more resilient market.”
Kate BrandtGoogle’s Chief Sustainability Officer, echoed this sentiment: “This strategic collaboration with American Airlines demonstrates how companies can work together to scale critical sustainability technologies. By entering into this long-term commitment, we are sending a vital demand signal to catalyze investment and bring more SAF to market.”
The Promise of SAF: A Greener Aviation Industry
SAF holds immense potential for reducing emissions in the aviation sector. It can achieve up to an 80% reduction in emissions compared to traditional jet fuel. Produced from various feedstocks, including waste oil and fats, SAF can also be synthesized using captured carbon dioxide and renewable electricity.
Governor Pritzker highlighted Illinois’ role in this initiative: “Illinois is proud to be at the forefront of the clean energy industry. This agreement demonstrates how our nation-leading SAF tax credit can bring industry leaders together as we work toward a more sustainable future. Through partnerships with innovators like American Airlines and Google, we’re strengthening Illinois’ role as a global aviation hub and accelerating the transition to cleaner energy.”
The global aviation industry, which supports 86.5 million jobs and generates over $4 trillion in economic activity annually, currently accounts for approximately 2-3% of global carbon dioxide emissions. SAF is a critical component in aviation decarbonization, offering a promising solution for reducing life cycle greenhouse gas emissions.
American Airlines and its oneworld alliance partners are focused on supporting new technologies that can scale the availability of cost-competitive SAF. The airline continues to invest in modern aircraft, engines, and operational efficiencies to minimize environmental impacts.
In addition to SAF initiatives, American Airlines partnered with Google, and Flightkeys to conduct a 16-week trial in 2026. This trial integrated contrail avoidance into the airline’s flight planning processes, resulting in a statistically significant 62% reduction in contrail formation and a substantial reduction in related warming.
