Southwest Airlines Is the First Commercial Airline To Bring Sustainable Aviation Fuel to OAK

This month marks the first time that sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) will be used in the operations of Southwest Airlines at Oakland International Airport (OAK). This introduction makes OAK the third commercial airport in the United States to have SAF incorporated into the daily operations of a major U.S. airline.  

“Introducing SAF at OAK is an exciting moment in our environmental sustainability journey at Southwest Airlines, and we are even more excited to be the first carrier to bring SAF to OAK,” said Michael AuBuchon, Senior Director, Fuel Supply Chain Management at Southwest Airlines. “We’re focused on bringing more SAF into our operations and are thrilled to partner with OAK to take action that supports our environmental sustainability goals.”  

This initiative is a part of Southwest’s goal to replace 10% of its total jet fuel consumption with SAF by 2030, which is an important step toward its long-term goal to achieve carbon neutrality by 2050. The SAF that will be used at Southwest’s OAK operation is provided by Neste and is made from renewable and sustainably sourced waste and residue materials, like used cooking oil or animal waste fat.  

Adding Neste’s SAF to Southwest’s operation is a seamless process—after blending with conventional jet fuel in accordance with applicable industry standards, it is compatible with both Southwest’s existing aircraft as well as the airport’s current infrastructure. Check out more here. 

“We applaud Southwest Airlines for their introduction of sustainable aviation fuel at OAK,” said Bryant L. Francis, Director of Aviation at the Port of Oakland. “The use of SAF aligns with the Port of Oakland’s own initiatives to operate in a more sustainable way.” 

Southwest Airlines has its largest California operation at OAK and is the busiest passenger carrier with over 240 peak day flights between 29 destinations across the USA, including to Hawaii and Mexico.