JetBlue, Virgin Atlantic & Boom Supersonic To Place Multi-Million Gallon Orders For CO2-Derived SAF

Three major commercial aviation outfits, JetBlue, Virgin Atlantic and Boom Supersonic, this week announced their intent to purchase millions of gallons of sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) made from carbon dioxide (CO2). The product, distributed under the name AIRMADE, is created by leading carbon tech enterprise Air Company.

Clever technology

Air Company creates carbon-negative alcohols and fuel from CO2 using its carbon conversion reactor that mimics photosynthesis. It previously introduced vodka, hand sanitizer, and perfume brands to the market with this process. It is now making considerable progress in the aviation fuel space.

The United States Air Force (USAF) has already completed a pioneering unmanned flight deploying Air Company’s 100% unblended CO2-derived jet fuel. Now commercial carriers are keen to utilize the technology.

New York-based JetBlue intends to purchase 25 million gallons of AIRMADE SAF over the next five years. Meanwhile, the United Kingdom’s Virgin Atlantic is looking to acquire up to 100 million gallons over ten years.

Additionally, Colorado-headquartered Boom Supersonic, which has been making headwinds with its Overture aircraft program, plans to take on five million gallons on an annual basis through the supersonic airliner’s flight test program.

Air Company has been covering great ground since its founding in New York in 2017. Photo: Air Company

Supersonic prospects

Ben Murphy, VP of Sustainability at Boom Supersonic spoke with Simple Flying about how the company believes SAF is key to decarbonizing aviation. He highlighted that by working with Air Company, the firm’s customers, research groups, and other partners, SAF scaling can be accelerated ahead of Overture’s first passenger flights in 2029.

“We expect AIRMADE SAF will be one of the most economical types of SAF while also achieving significant lifecycle carbon reductions. We’re excited that AIRMADE SAF from Air Company will power Overture and facilitate the net zero carbon flight test program at the Overture Superfactory in Greensboro, North Carolina.

“We’re especially excited about Air Company’s AIRMADE SAF because it allows us to directly close the carbon loop by using fuel produced from waste CO2, enabling net zero carbon Overture operations. By using only renewable energy and CO2, AIRMADE SAF production can rapidly scale to decarbonize aviation. We also consider SAF produced from electricity and CO2 to be the most economical solution to producing net zero carbon fuels.”

Significant demand

Murphy added that SAF is an incredibly vital piece of Boom’s overall approach to sustainability, and the company believes it is key to decarbonizing aviation. SAF can reduce up to 100% of carbon emissions compared to the traditional jet fuel it replaces. While SAF production is still in its infancy, the industry is well poised to achieve exponential growth seen in other renewable energy sectors.

Notably, if SAF scales at the rate of solar energy, it could reach the projected international jet fuel demand by 2036. This growth is necessary to address the global demand for aviation fuel with SAF during the period between 2030 and 2045.

What are your thoughts about JetBlue, Virgin Atlantic, and Boom Supersonic’s collaboration with Air Company? What do you make of the overall potential to be had with SAF? Let us know what you think of the plans and their prospects in the comment section.