American, Alaska Lead $150M SAF Program with Bill Gates Fund

Oneworld alliance members American Airlines and Alaska Airlines have announced a $150 million investment fund to scale the production and adoption of sustainable aviation fuels (SAF).

The fund was created in partnership with Breakthrough Energy Ventures (BEV), a climate tech investment initiative founded by Bill Gates and other entrepreneurs in 2015.

The Oneworld BEV Fund has welcomed initial contributions from American Airlines, Alaska Airlines, Cathay Pacific, Japan Airlines, and IAG. Singapore Airlines, although not a Oneworld member, has also joined.

SAF is typically produced from waste oils and agricultural residues and can reduce lifecycle carbon emissions by up to 80 percent.

The fund is expected to accelerate sustainable aviation advancement and create new jobs.

Recently, Hawaiian Airlines announced plans to implement SAF on select flights between Osaka, Japan, and Honolulu, Hawaii, while British Airways signed a multi‑year SAF agreement with EcoCeres.

Photo by Jake Hough on Unsplash