Southwest Airlines Buys Sustainable Air Fuel Company

Sustainable travel is coming as Southwest Airlines purchases SAFFiRE Renewables, LLC. The new purchase is part of the Dallas-based carrier’s investment portfolio of its wholly-owned subsidiary Southwest Airlines Renewable Ventures, LLC (SARV). This purchase is another action by the airline to establish its own sustainable air fuel program.

Sustainable air fuel for Southwest Airlines with new purchase

Enforcing its commitment to sustainable air travel, Southwest Airlines has purchased SAFFiRE Renewables, LLC. Meanwhile, sustainable air fuel (SAF) is the focus of most airlines going forward. A number of them have set a target date of 2050 to use only sustainable fuel. Moreover, this includes Southwest Airlines, which hopes to have net zero emissions by that time.

Bob Jordan, President & CEO of Southwest Airlines said in a statement:

This acquisition marks Southwest’s transition from investor to sole owner of SAFFiRE, expressing our confidence in SAFFiRE’s technology and its potential to advance our sustainability goals as well as the goals of the broader industry.

Championing SAF is a key pillar of Southwest’s Nonstop to Net Zero plan and our work toward a more sustainable future for air travel. We look forward to continuing our journey with SAFFiRE as part of our efforts to propel this promising technology forward.

SAFFiRE to head to phase two of the SAF project

Initially, Southwest Airlines invested in SAFFiRE as part of phase one of its pilot project in 2022. With the new acquisition, SAFFiRE expects to proceed to phase two of the SAF project. To do so, it will develop a pilot plant at Conestoga’s Arkalon Energy ethanol facility in Liberal, Kansas.

Tom Nealon, President of SARV and CEO of SAFFiRE said in a statement:

Renewable ethanol is an important feedstock to realizing high-volume, affordable SAF, which is a critical part of the journey to net zero carbon emissions.

We are enthusiastic about the ethanol-to-SAF pathway and SAFFiRE’s potential ability to produce renewable ethanol at a scale that is economically viable.

Meanwhile, Southwest Airlines is the fourth-largest airline in the US and is generally considered one of the leaders in aviation in working towards sustainable air fuel.

Trains v. planes

Recently, train travel has come back with a bang as travelers choose to keep their carbon footprint low. Many more high-speed trains are being developed for those in a hurry. However, more sleeper train routes are being planned, offering a slower journey that is a vacation for passengers in itself.

Moreover, some countries are choosing to cancel short-hop flights in an endeavor to keep their carbon footprints low. All this effort is no doubt spurring airlines to take to the air in a sustainable fashion.

In the meantime, travelers fly with Southwest Airlines, knowing the airline is doing all in its power to make its flights more sustainable.