American Airlines has used electro sustainable aviation fuel on a commercial passenger flight following what the carrier says was the first delivery of non-biobased sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) to a US commercial airport.
The eSAF was produced by Infinium at its Pathfinder facility in Corpus Christi, Texas, blended with conventional jet fuel and delivered into the common fuel tanks at Corpus Christi International Airport (CRP). It was then used aboard an American flight from Corpus Christi to Dallas Fort Worth International Airport (DFW).
American and Infinium said the delivery marked the first time SAF made without biobased feedstocks had been supplied to a commercial airport in the US. The fuel was tested to meet ASTM specifications for Jet A, allowing it to be used in existing aircraft engines and airport fueling systems without modification.
The eSAF was used on an American Eagle Embraer E175 for the Corpus Christi to Dallas/Fort Worth flight.
The flight was not powered entirely by eSAF. The synthetic fuel was blended with conventional jet fuel before being delivered to the airport’s shared fuel system.
Infinium produces the fuel using waste carbon dioxide and renewable electricity rather than biological feedstocks such as used cooking oil or plant material. The company says its eSAF can reduce lifecycle greenhouse gas emissions by more than 90% compared with conventional petroleum-based jet fuel.
“Adding eSAF to our product slate, and seeing it power a commercial passenger flight, marks another meaningful step forward in bringing practical, low-carbon fuel solutions to industry,” Infinium CEO Robert Schuetzle said.
KLM had already used synthetic kerosene on a passenger flight in 2021. American and Infinium say this is the first time synthetic SAF has been delivered through the existing fuel system at a US commercial airport for use on a passenger flight.
American has signed an agreement to purchase commercial volumes of eSAF from Infinium’s Project Roadrunner plant, which is now under construction. It is expected to begin production and deliveries in 2027 and eventually produce more than 5 million gallons of eSAF annually.
“This flight represents a significant moment for aviation,” American Airlines CEO Robert Isom said. “Through our partnership with Infinium, we’re demonstrating how next generation technologies like eSAF can move from early investment to real-world application.”
Cost remains one of the biggest obstacles to wider use of synthetic aviation fuel. Isom acknowledged the issue, saying lower SAF prices will be necessary for the technology to be broadly adopted by airlines.
SAF accounts for less than 1% of global jet fuel consumption, according to American and Infinium. Aviation consumes nearly 100 billion gallons of jet fuel annually.