United Airlines Adds To $200 Million-Plus Sustainable Flight Fund

In these days of climate change, with record heat waves and cold, flooding and more, United Airlines is caring for the environment. The airline has announced new partners in the United Airlines Ventures Sustainable Flight Fund. Joining the fight are Air New Zealand, Aircastle, Google, Embraer, Natixis Corporate & Investment Banking, HIS, Technip Energies and Safran Corporate Ventures, making 22 corporate partners.

More corporate partners join United Airlines Sustainable Flight Fund

Joining United Airlines in the fight for our environment, the corporate partners are involved in all aspects of the aviation supply chain. These include aircraft and engine manufacturers, airlines, engineering and technology experts, fuel producers, travel management, financiers and more. All partners have committed more than $200 million to the fund while collaborating to offer strategic expertise to aid the Fund’s portfolio companies.

The Fund was launched in February 2023 and remains the first and only aviation venture fund backed by a partner base. Moreover, it was created to identify and support startups to advance technology development with the focus of increasing the supply of Sustainable Aviation Fuel).

Anyone can get involved in the Sustainable Flight Fund

Meanwhile, it isn’t just major corporate partners helping in the fight for sustainable flight. United Airlines has also offered a way for consumers to also get involved. Visitors to the United Airlines website, or using the app, have the option to contribute to United’s investment in the UAV Sustainable Flight Fund before they check out.

This makes it a win-win situation for airlines and passengers alike. Moreover, United’s app continues its climate transparency effort by revealing estimated carbon emissions for flights booked on the app or online.

About Sustainable Aviation Fuel (SAF)

SAF is being produced as an alternative to conventional jet fuel and reduces greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions associated with air travel compared to conventional jet fuel. So far, United Airlines has invested in the future production of more than five billion gallons of SAF. Meanwhile, their efforts outweigh almost any airline in the world.

Building a ‘sustainable aviation ecosystem’

Andrew Chang, Managing Director of United Airlines Ventures, said in a statement:

SAF is the best tool we have to decarbonize airplanes, but we don’t have enough of it. To create the fuel supply we need for our fleet, United recognized that we would have to help build a brand-new industry from scratch – like wind and solar in previous decades.

As part of our effort to build a new sustainable aviation ecosystem, we recruited a group of partners with the industry expertise to support our startups with both financial and strategic capital, to help them navigate the entire process from conception to commercialization.

As United Airlines is ahead in the production of SAF, it is hoped that other major airlines will also join the partnership to reduce carbon emissions.