United Airlines Completes First Passenger Flight Using 100 Percent SAF in One Tank

United Airlines made history this week when the carrier flew a jet with more than 100 passengers using 100 percent sustainable aviation fuel in one tank.

Meg Godlewski

Thursday, December 02, 2021 at 01:52 PM ET

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The new United 737 MAX 8 carried 500 gallons of drop-in SAF in the right tank and 500 gallons of conventional fuel in the other. Courtesy: United Airlines

Key Takeaways:

United Airlines successfully completed the first commercial passenger flight using 100% sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) in one tank, marking a significant milestone for decarbonizing the aviation industry.
The demonstration flight aimed to prove operational equivalence between SAF and conventional jet fuel, surpassing the current regulatory limit of 50% SAF usage.
This achievement was made possible through partnerships with companies like Boeing and SAF producer World Energy, with United Airlines leading in SAF usage and development support globally.

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United Airlines (NYSE:UAL) made history this week when the carrier flew a jet with more than 100 passengers using 100 percent sustainable aviation fuel in one tank. The flight between Chicago’s O’Hare International Airport (ORD) to Washington’s Reagan National Airport (DCA) on Tuesday is the first commercial passenger-carrying flight using the renewable fuel.

United CEO Scott Kirby was onboard the flight. In a statement, he noted the flight was “not only a significant milestone for efforts to decarbonize our industry, but when combined with the surge in commitments to produce and purchase alternative fuels, we’re demonstrating the scalable and impactful way companies can join together and play a role in addressing the biggest challenge of our lifetimes.”