![]()
FORT WORTH, Texas — American Airlines and Google today announced a
record-breaking agreement for sustainable aviation fuel certificates (SAFc),
representing the largest publicly announced SAFc agreement between an airline
and a single corporate customer to date. The new agreement will unlock 35
million gallons (132 million liters) of SAF over three years, resulting in
nearly 300,000 metric tons of carbon dioxide equivalent (CO2e) emissions
reductions.
Under the agreement, American will purchase and take delivery of physical
fuel for Chicago O’Hare International Airport (ORD) through existing
infrastructure, the SAF portion of which will be produced from waste feedstocks
like used cooking oil. Google will receive the environmental benefits to help
address its emissions from employee business travel via the SAFc Registry,
which enables transparent and traceable book-and-claim SAFc. The long-term
nature of this agreement enabled American to secure a new long-term SAF offtake
with Valero Marketing and Supply Company and reinforces American’s longstanding
commitment to SAF.
“Our industry-leading agreement with Google is a critical step forward in
reducing emissions from our operations,” said American’s Chief Sustainability
Officer Jill Blickstein. “By working with leaders like Google who share our
commitment to innovation, we’re helping to grow demand for SAF and support
the development of a stronger, more resilient market.”
This agreement was made possible by Illinois Governor JB Pritzker and the
Illinois General Assembly enacting a SAF tax credit. Thanks to collaboration
between industry and lawmakers, American will be able to bring significant
volumes of SAF to ORD.
“This strategic collaboration with American Airlines demonstrates how
companies can work together to scale critical sustainability technologies,”
said Google’s Chief Sustainability Officer Kate Brandt. “By entering into
this long-term commitment, we are sending a vital demand signal to catalyze
investment and bring more SAF to market.”
SAF can reduce emissions by up to 80% compared to traditional jet fuel and
is a promising solution for decarbonizing the hard-to-abate aviation sector.
SAF is a liquid fuel currently used in commercial aviation that is produced
from feedstocks, including waste oil and fats. It can also be produced
synthetically using captured carbon dioxide and renewable electricity.
"Illinois is proud to be at the forefront of the clean energy industry. This agreement demonstrates how our nation-leading SAF tax credit can bring industry leaders together as we work toward a more sustainable future," said Illinois Governor JB Pritzker. "Through partnerships with innovators like American Airlines and Google, we’re strengthening Illinois’ role as a global aviation hub and accelerating the transition to cleaner energy."
The global aviation industry, which generates more than $4 trillion in
economic activity per year and supports 86.5 million jobs, currently accounts
for approximately 2-3% of global carbon dioxide emissions. SAF is a critical
lever for aviation decarbonization, with the potential to significantly reduce
life cycle greenhouse gas emissions as a drop-in fuel compared to conventional
petroleum-based jet fuel. However, the SAF industry has not yet attracted the
investment required to scale production at competitive prices in line with
market needs. American and its oneworld alliance partners are
focused on
supporting new technologies that can scale the availability of
cost-competitive SAF, while minimizing other environmental impacts. American
also continues to invest in modern aircraft, engines and operational
efficiencies.
In addition to SAF initiatives, American partnered with Google,
Contrails.org, and Flightkeys to conduct a 2025 16-week trial that integrated
contrail avoidance into the airline’s flight planning processes. The trial
resulted in a statistically significant 62% reduction in contrail formation and
a substantial reduction in related warming.
About American Airlines Group (NASDAQ: AAL)
American Airlines is a premium global airline connecting more of the U.S. to
the world. With roots tracing back to an air mail carrier in the Midwestern
United States in 1926, American now operates more than 6,000 daily flights to
more than 350 destinations in more than 60 countries and serves more than 200
million customers annually. Powered by a proud and talented team of 130,000
aviation professionals, American’s team lives out the airline’s purpose of
caring for people on life’s journey every day.
The world’s largest airline proudly celebrates its centennial year in 2026,
reaching a milestone that reflects a century of innovation and the Forever
Forward℠ spirit that changed the industry and the world. American introduced
the first scheduled air cargo service, the first airport lounge and the first
airline loyalty program and continues to reinvent the customer experience
today. The airline is also a founding member of the oneworld
alliance, whose members serve more than 900 destinations around the globe.
Get the latest about American at news.aa.com and @AmericanAir.
About Google
Google's mission is to organize the world's information and make it
universally accessible and useful. Through products and platforms like Search,
Maps, Gmail, Android, Google Play, Google Cloud, Chrome and YouTube, Google
plays a meaningful role in the daily lives of billions of people and has become
one of the most widely-known companies in the world. Google is a subsidiary of
Alphabet Inc.