The First Major Airline To Adopt Chicago O'Hare International's New 'Sustainable Aviation Fuel'

With all the headaches airlines give us — constant delays, luggage disappearing into the void, and compensation that takes forever — you'd think they were our fiends, not our friends. But every now and then, one actually tries to do better. Case in point: United Airlines is regarded as one of the best in North America, and it's not hard to see why. Beyond being one of the few airlines where you can score a deal on first-class seats, United is stepping up its game. It started letting passengers track their bags via AirTag, adding cold brew to its drink lineup, and, as of 2024, becoming the first major airline to adopt Chicago O'Hare International's shiny new sustainable aviation fuel (SAF).

Now, this isn't exactly shocking — United is Chicago-born, after all. And when it comes to sustainability, they've been ahead of the curve for years. In 2018, they became the first airline to declare carbon neutrality and set an ambitious goal: cut greenhouse gas emissions by 100% by 2050 — without taking the easy way out with carbon offsets. Now, they're doubling down with SAF, swapping out petroleum-based jet fuel with something a little less destructive: used cooking oil, fats, and greases (all eco-friendly renewable resources). Better yet, SAF is compatible with existing aircraft engines and infrastructure.

"This is what happens when innovation, leadership and policy come together," United Airlines President Brett Hart said in a statement to PR Newswire. "While the market for SAF is still in its infancy, there is a huge opportunity today for airlines and policymakers to work together to support its continued growth – SAF at O'Hare was made possible thanks to Governor Pritzker and the Illinois Legislature passing tax incentives." And the best part? This is just one part of the plan.

United Airlines isn't just talking big game about going green. It's actually making serious moves to clean up the skies, and embracing sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) happens to be a piece of a much bigger puzzle. In 2023, United cranked up its United Next initiative even further, vowing to upgrade its fleet with bigger aircraft that can fit more passengers and adding more seats. Apparently, in 2019, United had a pretty unimpressive record, having only 104 seats per North American departure, but by 2027, it aims to have 145 seats per flight. And get this: most of those seats will reportedly be in basic economy, not just the fancy front rows, meaning more people might afford to fly.

The airline is not stopping at bigger planes just to be smarter and greener. In August 2024, United finally ditched those cheap economy cabin cutlery packets for utensils made of FSC 100% certified bamboo (finally, an eco-change that isn't just for show). The airline is also constantly tweaking its operations to cut down on fuel use, making good with consistent efforts like single-engine taxiing to washing aircraft engines to reduce drag. Even its planes are getting a tug — literally. Instead of wasting fuel on taxiing between gates and hangars, United now uses super tugs to move them around.

It's pretty clear. United isn't just in it for the good PR — it actually seems to really care about changing the way flying impacts the planet. It's no wonder Air Transport World named it Eco-Airline of the Year back in 2021. And at this rate, especially with sustainable aviation fuel? It might just keep winning even more in the years to come.