Amazon First To Use SAF At Ontario Airport

In a significant step toward achieving its climate goals, Amazon has become the first company to utilize sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) at Ontario International Airport, one of the top 10 cargo hubs in the United States. The milestone is part of a broader and deepening partnership with Neste, a global leader in renewable fuels, that underscores Amazon’s growing commitment to decarbonizing its air cargo operations.

Under the new agreement, Neste will supply 7,500 metric tons — equivalent to 2.5 million gallons — of its Neste MY Sustainable Aviation Fuel™ to Amazon Air. The supply will be delivered over the course of 2024 and 2025 and will be used at both San Francisco International Airport and Ontario International Airport in California. This expansion follows an initial collaboration that began in 2021 when Neste first provided SAF to Amazon at Germany’s Cologne Bonn Airport.

This move marks a key development in Amazon’s roadmap to reach net-zero carbon emissions by 2040 — a goal aligned with The Climate Pledge, which the company co-founded in 2019. Sustainable aviation fuel plays a vital role in decarbonizing aviation, one of the hardest-to-abate sectors. Compared to conventional fossil jet fuels, Neste’s SAF can reduce greenhouse gas emissions by up to 80% over the fuel’s lifecycle.

Carl Nyberg, Senior Vice President of Commercial, Renewable Products at Neste, emphasized the broader significance of the agreement. “We are excited to provide SAF to Amazon Air at two major airports in California. This milestone sends a positive signal that SAF is available to airlines and cargo operators, like Amazon Air at these airports,” Nyberg said.

Notably, the delivery chain itself contributes to further emission reductions. At Ontario International Airport, the SAF is trucked in from Los Angeles using vehicles powered by Neste’s own renewable diesel, provided by Diesel Direct. This approach helps minimize transport-related emissions, showcasing a holistic and scalable model for sustainable fuel logistics.

At San Francisco International Airport, Neste’s SAF is delivered through an established pipeline infrastructure, enabling seamless integration with existing fueling systems. The dual-mode delivery strategy — pipeline in San Francisco and renewable diesel-powered trucking in Ontario — highlights the flexibility and practicality of using SAF within existing airport frameworks.

Neste’s SAF is made from 100% renewable waste and residue raw materials, such as used cooking oil and animal fat waste. It is certified for commercial use and can be blended up to 50% with conventional jet fuel. Importantly, it works without requiring modifications to aircraft engines or fueling infrastructure, making it an attractive drop-in solution for reducing aviation emissions.

Neste currently produces 1.5 million tons of SAF annually and plans to increase its production capacity to 2.2 million tons by 2027. This anticipated growth aligns with increasing global demand for cleaner aviation alternatives, driven by both corporate sustainability goals and regulatory pressure in various regions, including the U.S. and European Union.

For Amazon, the deal is another concrete step in reducing emissions across its vast logistics network, which includes a growing fleet of Amazon Air cargo planes. By embedding SAF into regular operations at strategic airports in California, the company is demonstrating how renewable fuels can be implemented at scale to address one of the most carbon-intensive aspects of its supply chain.

“Our supply chain solution for these California gateways builds on our existing SAF supply capabilities on the West Coast in the U.S.,” Nyberg added. “It demonstrates how renewable fuels can help our customers easily reduce greenhouse gas emissions across different transportation modes.”

This partnership with Neste reflects Amazon’s broader sustainability strategy, which includes investments in electric delivery vehicles, renewable energy projects, and carbon removal technologies. The use of SAF at Ontario and San Francisco airports adds another layer to these initiatives and signals to other logistics providers and airlines that scalable solutions for aviation decarbonization are increasingly viable.

The expansion of SAF usage in major airports also contributes to regional and national efforts to reduce transportation emissions. With California being one of the most climate-progressive states in the U.S., the collaboration between Amazon and Neste reinforces the state’s leadership in clean fuel adoption and sends a signal to the industry about the practicality of deploying SAF at cargo-focused hubs.

As demand for lower-carbon logistics solutions grows, this partnership stands as a model for how businesses can adopt renewable fuels in hard-to-decarbonize sectors while maintaining operational efficiency. Through this collaboration, Amazon and Neste are paving the way for a cleaner aviation future — one flight at a time.