Commercial, Energy Efficiency, GHG Emissions  -  September 13, 2018

United Airlines pledges 50% GHG cut by 2050

United Airlines announced on Sept. 13 a commitment to reduce its greenhouse gas emissions by 50% by 2050 from a 2005 baseline, the equivalent of removing 4.5 million vehicles from the road each year. The airline will continue to invest in the company's ongoing environmental initiatives to support this commitment, including expanding the use of more sustainable aviation biofuels, welcoming newer, more fuel-efficient aircraft into its fleet and implementing further operational changes to better conserve fuel.

A statement from the company said, "To celebrate this significant milestone, United will operate flight 44 tomorrow from its hub in San Francisco to Zurich with the carrier's most fuel-efficient aircraft – the Boeing 787 – via a blend of sustainable aviation fuel supplied by World Energy's California-based AltAir Fuels. The airline will use 16,000 gallons of biofuel at a 30/70 blend with conventional jet fuel for the flight to Zurich, representing the longest transatlantic flight to date - and longest by a U.S. airline - powered by a biofuel volume of this size." United has sourced more than 2 million gallons of sustainable aviation biofuel since 2016.

"At United, we believe there is no point in setting challenging and ambitious goals without also taking tangible steps towards achieving them, especially when it comes to securing the health of our communities and our planet," said Oscar Munoz, United's chief executive officer. "While we're proud to be first U.S. carrier taking such an ambitious step, it is a distinction we look forward to sharing as the rest of the industry catches up and makes similar commitments to sustainability."

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