Overview
- The companies announced the agreement Tuesday to finance about 35 million gallons of sustainable aviation fuel over three years and said it will account for nearly 300,000 metric tons of CO2e reductions on paper.
- Google will receive the environmental benefits through the SAFc Registry, a book‑and‑claim system that separates emissions attributes from the physical fuel so companies can claim reductions without using the exact fuel in their flights.
- American will purchase and take physical deliveries of the blended fuel at Chicago O'Hare, with much of the SAF made from waste feedstocks such as used cooking oil and the deal supported by a long‑term offtake with Valero.
- The partnership builds on earlier 2025 trials in which Google’s AI and open contrail models helped pilots cut contrail formation by roughly 54–62 percent, showing an operational way to lower aviation’s non‑CO2 warming effects faster than expanding SAF supply.
- Industry groups warn SAF production remains far below demand and is much more expensive than jet fuel, leading critics to say certificate deals risk functioning as corporate greenwashing unless they spur real new supply through policy and investment.