Global delivery giant FedEx announced a series of new agreements to source sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) for use at Chicago-O’Hare Airport and Miami International Airport, marking an expansion of the company’s deployment of SAF at U.S. airports.
The new agreements follow FedEx’s first major U.S. SAF deployment earlier this year, with an deal to purchase more than three million gallons of blended SAF from Neste for cargo flights out of Los Angeles International Airport.
Under the new agreements, at Chicago-O’Hare, FedEx will receive a blend that includes one million gallons of neat SAF at a minimum 30% blend from Air bp. With an initial shipment last month, the company became the first US all-cargo airline to purchase and deploy SAF at the airport. In Miami, FedEx has begun receiving about three million gallons of blended SAF at a minimum 30% blend from AEG.
Karen Blanks Ellis, Chief Sustainability Officer and Vice President of Environmental Affairs at FedEx, said:
“Each executed agreement signals to fuel producers that airlines are willing and eager collaborators to help to scale the SAF market. The aviation industry still faces a mismatch between available SAF supply and carrier demand, but we are encouraged by the early signs of increased SAF production globally this calendar year.”
In 2021, FedEx announced a goal to achieve carbon neutrality in operations by 2040, allocating $2 billion in investments to reach its goal, with a focus on key areas including vehicle electrification, sustainable energy, and carbon sequestration.
The company said that SAF use is part of a broader strategy that includes reducing overall fuel consumption. Modernization and efficiency initiatives helped FedEx avoid using 140 million gallons of jet fuel in 2024 and meet its goal of cutting aircraft emissions intensity by 30% from 2005 levels. FedEx now targets a 40% reduction by 2034FedEx aims for 30% of its fuel to come from alternative sources by 2030.
Luiz R. Vasconcelos, President of FedEx Latin America and the Caribbean, said:
“This milestone reinforces our commitment and demonstrates to our customers that sustainability is not just a corporate goal – it is a regional priority. From SAF deployment in Miami to the rollout of electric delivery vehicles in countries like Mexico, Colombia, Chile and Brazil, we are embedding sustainable innovation across our operations and actively contributing to the corporation’s global sustainability strategy.”
