Amazon signed an agreement to receive 7,500 metric tons, or 2.5 million gallons, of sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) for its Amazon Air cargo operations at San Francisco International Airport and Ontario International Airport in California through the end of 2025. 

The agreement was signed with Neste for its neat Neste MY Sustainable Aviation Fuel™. The agreement to use SAF in California is part of a broader cooperation between Amazon and Neste that started four years ago when Neste delivered SAF to Amazon at Cologne Bonn Airport in 2021. 

This agreement makes Amazon the first company to purchase and use SAF at Ontario International Airport, ranked among the top 10 cargo airports in the U.S.

Amazon has made a commitment to reach net-zero carbon emissions across its global operations by 2040 and adopting SAF is a key lever to decarbonize its air cargo operations.

Neste’s SAF is blended with conventional jet fuel and supplied to the Amazon Air network at both airports. The first volumes were successfully delivered earlier this year. Leveraging Neste’s SAF supply capabilities established in Northern California in 2020, the fuel is delivered directly to San Francisco International Airport via existing pipeline infrastructure. 

For Amazon Air’s operation at Ontario International Airport, the SAF is delivered to the airport by trucks from Neste’s SAF terminal facilities in Los Angeles by Diesel Direct, a long-term partner of Neste. Diesel Direct uses Neste’s renewable diesel to fuel trucks dedicated to the SAF deliveries to reduce GHG emissions from SAF transportation.

“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. Our supply chain solution for these California gateways builds on our existing SAF supply capabilities on the West Coast in the U.S., and leverages our partnership with Diesel Direct to transport SAF by trucks running on renewable diesel. This demonstrates how renewable fuels can help our customers easily reduce greenhouse gas emissions across different transportation modes,” said Carl Nyberg, Senior Vice President, Commercial, Renewable Products at Neste, in a statement. 

Using Neste MY Sustainable Aviation Fuel™ reduces GHG emissions by up to 80% over the fuel’s life cycle, compared to using conventional jet fuel, since it is made from 100% renewable waste and residue raw materials such as used cooking oil and animal fat waste.