Southwest Airlines has agreed to purchase up to 25 million gallons of neat sustainable aviation fuel, or about 84 million gallons blended, from Valero for use at Chicago Midway International Airport, the carrier announced Thursday.
Southwest will purchase a minimum of 3.6 million gallons of neat SAF (about 12 million blended) for use as early as the fourth quarter of this year, with the option to purchase up to 25 million gallons over the two-year agreement. On a blended basis, this would represent up to 35 percent of Southwest’s jet fuel out of Midway based on the carrier’s usage in the last year, according to the airline.
Diamond Green Diesel, a joint venture between Valero and Darling Ingredients, will supply the neat SAF, which will be blended with Valero’s conventional jet fuel and delivered via existing delivery infrastructure, according to Southwest.
