United Operates Flight Using 100% Sustainable Fuel

United Airlines has a goal to be 100% green by 2050 without relying on traditional carbon offsets. To that end, it operated its first ever commercial flight using SAF (Sustainable Aviation Fuel).

The 737 MAX 8 flight took off from Chicago’s O’Hare Airport with 100 passengers and landed at Washington, D.C.’s Reagan National Airport. The flight carried SAF in one engine and conventional jet fuel in the other engine to demonstrated there were no operational differences between the two and to set the stage for more scalable uses of SAF by airlines in the future. Presently, airlines are only permitted to use up to 50% SAF on board. The SAF used on the United flight is compatible with existing aircraft fleets.