New agreement between California and major U.S. airline companies to use "sustainable aviation fuel"

A new agreement between Airlines 4 America (A4A) and the California Air Resources Board (CARB) will significantly reduce carbon emissions by accelerating the use of sustainable aviation fuels for flights within the state. 

The agreement sets a goal of increasing the availability of sustainable aviation fuel for use within California to 200 million gallons by 2035, an amount that would meet about 40% of intrastate travel demand – a more than tenfold increase from current levels. 

“California and the aviation industry are joining forces to tackle emissions head-on. We’ve put the tools in place to incentivize cleaner fuels and spur innovation, creating opportunities like this to radically change how Californians can travel cleaner. This is a major step forward in our work to cut pollution, protect our communities, and build a future of cleaner air and innovative climate solutions.”

This achievement was made possible by the development and innovation of alternative fuels spurred by the state’s Low Carbon Fuel Standard program.

“California is once again demonstrating that smart climate action is good for the environment and good for business,” said CARB Chair Liane Randolph. “This partnership with the nation’s leading airlines brings the aviation industry onboard to advance a clean air future and will help accelerate development of sustainable fuel options and promote cleaner air travel within the state.”

A4A’s members include Alaska Airlines, American Airlines, Atlas Air Worldwide, Delta Air Lines, FedEx, Hawaiian Airlines, jetBlue Airways, Southwest Airlines, United Airlines, UPS, and associate member Air Canada. 

“A4A is pleased to launch a partnership with CARB focused on protecting the environment, reducing emissions, and increasing the use of SAF in California and across the country,” said Kevin Welsh, Vice President of Environmental Affairs and Chief Sustainability Officer at Airlines for America. “This partnership reflects the type of collaboration between government and the private sector that is necessary to achieve ambitious climate goals, and the agreement announced today reflects the strength of our commitment to a cleaner, more sustainable future for air travel. We’re excited to work with CARB and other SAF stakeholders to further our industry’s efforts to achieve net-zero carbon emissions by 2050.”

CARB and A4A will work together with sustainable aviation fuel producers, aviation stakeholders and the federal government to ensure that at least 200 million gallons of cost-competitive options are available for use by airlines within California by 2035.

To achieve these goals, CARB and A4A will work together to identify, evaluate, and prioritize new policies and actions, including incentives for investment and timely permitting to help accelerate the availability and use of sustainable aviation fuels within California. 

The partnership will establish a Sustainable Aviation Fuel Working Group of government and industry stakeholders that will meet annually to report progress and address barriers to meeting these goals. 

CARB staff plans to create a public website that will display the latest information on the availability and use of conventional jet fuel and sustainable aviation fuel in California, as well as details on relevant state and federal incentives and policies.