Why We Invested in the United Airlines Ventures Sustainable Flight Fund
Today, the Sustainable Aviation Fuel (SAF) industry is only a tiny fraction of what it needs to be. Many airlines, including JetBlue, have committed to achieving net zero carbon emissions. As a result, the SAF industry faces the critical challenge of scaling up production to meet the increasing demand for sustainable aviation fuels. Unfortunately, the industry encounters challenges including limited supply and the significant costs linked to production.
At JetBlue Ventures, we firmly believe in the power of collaboration and resource-sharing to scale and expand the SAF market. By working together, we can foster the development and prosperity of SAF to ensure it meets the growing demands of the airline industry. This is one of the key reasons JetBlue Ventures joined the United Airlines Ventures Sustainable Flight Fund SM. This fund will actively invest in companies that are developing cutting-edge technologies aimed at boosting SAF production.
By leveraging the fund, our goal is to accelerate the growth of the SAF industry through the expansion of research and development efforts. The fund is strategically designed to impact the supply of SAF, influencing the industry’s economics and positioning SAF as a more competitive alternative to traditional jet fuel. The effectiveness of the fund lies in the pooling of resources, which allows for a substantial amount of resources to be amassed and make significant progress possible.
JetBlue Ventures has backed several innovative companies in the SAF and sustainability industries that have already made significant advancements. Aether Fuels is one of our most recent investments. They specialize in producing sustainable fuels derived from readily available and cost-effective waste carbon sources, including captured carbon dioxide, industrial waste gases, municipal solid waste, agricultural residues, and waste biomass. Aether Fuels uses the Fischer-Tropsch process and their unique single-step tri-conversion catalyst, which not only enhances overall efficiency but also minimizes operating costs.
We have also invested in Air Company, which concentrates on producing SAF by converting captured carbon into fuel, as well as Avnos, whose proprietary hybrid direct air capture technology pulls both water and carbon dioxide from the air which can also be used as a feedstock for eFuels. In total, we have invested in 14 companies that fall within our sustainability theme or whose technology contributes to sustainability.
Investments are made in these companies to see them grow over time and observe how they can develop new technology to backfill what is currently available. Our investment now means that in 5–20 years it will provide more opportunity for the industry.
We continually look for ways to directly address our emissions or encourage technologies that will help us reach our sustainability goals, our participation in this fund is one of them. We are thrilled to join forces with our industry partners in the pursuit of making a significant impact through the United Airlines Ventures Sustainable Flight Fund.
