JetBlue marks 1st regular supply of SAF for commercial air travel in New York

Photo: JetBlue

JetBlue along with its fuel partners marked the first-ever regular supply of sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) for commercial air travel in the region at New York’s John F. Kennedy International Airport.

This milestone for SAF availability in the Northeast brings to reality an announcement from last summer, outlining JetBlue’s 12-month agreement with World Fuel Services for at least 1 million gallons of neat SAF to be provided by Valero Marketing and Supply Co.

JetBlue’s SAF supply is made possible through corporate business partners who help cover the cost-premium over traditional jet fuel.

An additional 4 million gallons of neat SAF is possible under the terms of the deal with the support of corporate partners.

“JFK has been JetBlue’s home for 25 years, and our operations here should set the standard we envision for our entire network,” said Ursula Hurley, JetBlue’s chief financial officer. “Thank you to the many teams and partners who have helped make this possible. Incorporating SAF into our flights is an important lever in decarbonizing the aviation industry, and expanding its availability to our Northeast airports is a big step.”

To ensure a consistent supply of SAF, Diamond Green Diesel—a joint venture between a Valero and Darling Ingredients— produces the fuel and Valero then blends it with conventional jet fuel to create blended SAF.

The blended SAF is then delivered by World Fuel via existing jet-fuel distribution infrastructure where it is claimed by JetBlue for use in their fleet at JFK Airport.

Blended SAF is a drop-in product for existing aircraft and infrastructure and lowers lifecycle greenhouse-gas emissions.

“Working with JetBlue and Valero to bring blended SAF to one of our largest airport locations supports our ambition at World Fuel to grow a consistent supply network for SAF on the U.S. East Coast,” said Brad Hurwitz, World Fuel Services’ senior vice president of supply and trading. “This collaboration enhances our ability to provide regular sustainable aviation fuel and improves access to lower-carbon fuels for our aviation customers.”

The delivery of SAF to the New York region was first explored in a 2021 study by the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey and the National Renewable Energy Lab, evaluating the ways in which SAF could be transported to port-authority airports using existing fueling infrastructure.

The study found that SAF could be successfully delivered to port-authority airports, paving the way for airline partners to fuel an aircraft with SAF at LaGuardia Airport successfully in June 2022 and for JFK to welcome the world’s first transatlantic flight fueled by SAF in November 2023.

“We are proud to collaborate with JetBlue on the use of SAF at JFK,” said Port Authority Chairman Kevin O’Toole. “As the international gateway to the U.S., JFK is leading by example through our work on safe SAF delivery to our regional airports and promoting sustainable air travel. We look forward to facilitating more SAF operations across our airport system.”

Growing the SAF market and expanding adoption nationwide requires public and private collaboration.

Proposed federal and state incentives for renewable fuels would support the industry’s transition to SAF, while corporate partnerships offset costs.

Businesses can reduce their travel emissions by purchasing JetBlue-issued SAF certificates, and JetBlue continues to seek additional partners to expand its SAF use.

With regular supply of SAF already being delivered into its operations at San Francisco and Los Angeles International airports, the airline said it has doubled its SAF procurement year-over-year since 2020.