JetBlue and its fuel partners are celebrating the first-ever regular supply of sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) at New York’s John F. Kennedy International Airport (JFK). It’s a turning point for SAF availability in the Northeast and follows last summer’s announcement by JetBlue, where the company outlined a 12-month agreement with World Fuel Services (World Fuel), a World Kinect company (NYSE: WKC), for at least 1 million gallons of neat SAF to be procured by Valero Marketing and Supply Company (Valero), an arm of Valero Energy Corporation (NYSE: VLO).
JetBlue’s corporate partners help make the SAF supply possible
JetBlue’s corporate business partners help cover the cost difference between traditional fuel and SAF. That support allows an additional four million gallons of neat SAF, according to the terms of the agreement. An even supply of SAF is made possible by Diamond Green Diesel LLC—a joint venture between a Valero affiliate and Darling Ingredients Inc. affiliate — who produces the fuel, which is then mixed with traditional jet fuel by Valero to make blended SAF. World Fuel delivers that through current infrastructure, and JetBlue then claims it to use at JFK Airport. Blended SAF can be used as a substitute for traditional fuel on modern aircraft and can reduce lifecycle greenhouse gas emissions by up to 80%.
Ursula Hurley, Chief Financial Officer, JetBlue, said: “JFK has been JetBlue’s home for 25 years, and our operations here should set the standard we envision for our entire network. Thank you to the many teams and partners who have helped make this possible. Incorporating SAF into our flights is an important lever in decarbonizing the aviation industry and expanding its availability to our Northeast airports is a big step.”
