Alaska Airlines and Deloitte on August 11 announced an agreement to advance purchase and use of sustainable aviation fuels (SAF) through Alaska’s new corporate SAF program, part of the company’s Ever Green program to advance environmental sustainability. As a participant in the program, Deloitte will reduce the emissions of their business travel with Alaska by approximately 1,050 metric tons of carbon dioxide.

Alaska and Deloitte will collaborate on the purchase of SAF certificates which provide an accounting framework to expand the market for SAF and capture the emissions reduction value for corporate purchasers.

By Chad Slattery.

SAF is currently available in volumes amounting to less than one percent of total fuel use but is a safe, certified fuel that meets all jet fuel standards and can reduce carbon emissions by as much as 80% on a lifecycle basis. Through their corporate SAF program, Alaska intends to address some of the key barriers to scaling SAF production such as feedstock accessibility, facilities, transportation and storage, pricing, engine infrastructure and demand from operations and customers.

Alaska Airlines aircraft photo gallery (Airbus):

Alaska Airlines is taking the next step in advancing sustainable aviation fuels (SAF) as part of Alaska’s Ever Green program for improvements in environmental sustainability. On August 11 Alaska launched a program to engage its corporate customers in the decarbonization journey through purchase of SAF credits and continued efforts to expand education and awareness about opportunities to improve the sustainability of business travel including through use of SAF. The program builds on a first-in-the-US program launched with Microsoft in 2020 to reduce corporate business travel emissions through corporate partnerships.

The program launches with participation from Microsoft, Boeing and Washington State University (WSU). Microsoft has also committed to reducing the scope 3 emissions of their business travel with Alaska. Program participants will further deepen the experience with pilot book and claim systems and build upon those efforts to advance awareness and education on sustainable travel topics among all corporate customers.

Alaska’s program includes Boeing and WSU as aviation and academic value chain partners to share knowledge and advancements in sustainable business travel with corporate participants. Together, participants will collaborate to advance sustainability in business travel, increase education and awareness, and identify and act on opportunities for collective action.

“WSU has long been a national leader in climate and sustainability research, including in the development and adoption of SAF,” said Kirk Schulz, president of WSU. “We look forward to supporting this coalition of forward-looking companies committed to decarbonizing air travel.”

SAF is currently available in volumes amounting to less than one percent of total fuel use but is a safe, certified fuel that meets all jet fuel standards and can reduce carbon emissions by as much as 80% on a lifecycle basis. Through the program, Alaska intends to expand understanding of and action to address some of the key barriers to scaling SAF production such as feedstock accessibility, facilities, transportation and storage, pricing, engine infrastructure and demand from operations and customers. Additionally, participants may tackle other topics related to sustainability in travel.

Last year, Alaska announced its commitment and five-part roadmap to reduce the company’s carbon emissions to net-zero by 2040, including SAF as the most significant opportunity to reduce carbon emissions over the next few decades. Additionally, Alaska set 2025 goals to improve its impact relative to carbon, waste, and water.

Alaska Airlines aircraft photo gallery:

Alaska Airlines announced today it has finalized an agreement with biofuel company Gevo Inc., to purchase its most significant sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) offtake commitment to date – 185 million gallons of SAF over five years starting in 2026. This agreement was developed alongside others in the oneworld alliance.

In April 2021, Alaska announced the company’s commitment and roadmap to achieve carbon net zero by 2040, and established a five-part path to achieve that goal. The path includes operational efficiency, fleet renewal, sustainable aviation fuel, electric or hybrid-electric aircraft over the long term and credible carbon offsets only as needed to achieve our targets if technology does not advance fast enough to close the gap without. Of this path, sustainable aviation fuel provides the greatest opportunity to decarbonize in the near and medium term, and Alaska has been working for over a decade to first test and then use SAF.

In 2016, Alaska and Gevo made history by flying the world’s first commercial flight using forest residuals from Seattle-Tacoma International Airport to Reagan National Airport in Washington, D.C., powered by a 20 percent blend of SAF. Today, Alaska is using SAF in its operations in California and works with multiple producers and other partners to use and facilitate the development of additional SAF supply in the future.

In September 2020, oneworld became the first global airline alliance to announce a target of carbon neutrality by 2050, establishing its commitment to long-term sustainability for the industry. The alliance followed up that commitment with an intermediate goal to achieve 10% SAF use across the member airlines by 2030.

Alaska Airlines aircraft photo gallery:

Alaska Airlines made this announcement:

This summer, Alaska Airlines guests can veg out on board with more gluten friendly, plant-based and vegan meal options available in all cabins.

We’re listening to our guests who told us that they are looking for more plant-based menu options when traveling. Our new vegan option, called the “Soy Meets World,” is a vegan salad developed in partnership with Evergreens, a West Coast-based company that makes gourmet, freshly chopped salads.

We serve freshly prepared meals and snacks for breakfast, lunch and dinner & always include a vegetarian option. This summer, we’re excited to offer guests our ”Soy Meets World” salad, a new vegan friendly option.

We’re proud to offer our guests a variety of fresh and seasonal meal selections and thirst-quenching beverages on our flights.

Today, we have the most comprehensive domestic food and beverage program in the industry. We offer three meal options in First Class, including our Signature Fruit & Cheese on flights as short as 550 miles.

We also offer ample food options in Premium Class and Main Cabin, which include up to four fresh options on flights over 1,100 miles and up to five snack items on flights over 223 miles, such as the Mediterranean Tapas Pack (vegan and gluten-free).

Now through October, guests can enjoy fresh summer flavors that include berries, summer squash, corn, citrus and tomatoes.

Our Soy Meets World vegan salad includes roasted broccoli, fresh cucumber slices, scallions, pickled carrots, fried tofu and brown rice served over a bed of crisp romaine and baby lettuce greens, topped with roasted cashews, fried onions and paired with a Tamari Chili-Lime dressing.

Alaska makes it easy to get the meal(s) you want. Enjoy fresh ingredients inspired by the West Coast, from snacks to freshly prepared meals, by pre-ordering your favorites ahead of your flight using your reservation on our app or alaskaair.com.

Snacks and Picnic packs do not require pre-order and are available on board most flights over 2 hours.

Alaska Airlines aircraft photo gallery (Airbus):