OPINION:
For U.S. airlines, protecting the environment is a longstanding commitment, alongside our mission to provide safe, secure air travel for millions of Americans every day. For decades, America’s airlines have worked to reduce their environmental footprint by investing in more fuel-efficient aircraft, modern engines and smarter operations. As a result, airlines today are highly efficient, carrying far more passengers and cargo while using less fuel per passenger or package than in the past. These gains are not accidental; they reflect continuous investment and a recognition that reducing the fuel we use achieves both economic and environmental benefits.
Building on this foundation, U.S. airlines are embracing the opportunity for further progress through the production and use of sustainable aviation fuel, or SAF. SAF is jet fuel produced from renewable or wastebased resources such as used cooking oil, agricultural products and others. SAF is not just a concept; it is being produced and used throughout the United States and globally. In fact, in 2025, U.S. airlines purchased nearly 100 million gallons of SAF worldwide.
What is most important about SAF, however, is that the opportunity extends far beyond aviation. The United States is uniquely positioned to lead the world in SAF production and deployment. SAF can be made from American feedstocks, refined with American expertise, and consumed by American airlines supporting farmers, creating domestic jobs and strengthening U.S. energy security in the process. Last year, U.S. companies produced over 240 million gallons of SAF for domestic and export markets.
Yet despite growing demand, SAF production remains a small fraction of the total jet fuel market. The barrier is not airline demand or commitment. The barrier is being able to create a level playing field across markets and building supply chains to leverage the strength of America’s unmatched innovation and resources. Building new fuel supply chains requires investment certainty. That depends on policies that are durable, predictable and performance-based, which can unlock the private capital that is waiting to invest in this new growth market. We are grateful that Congress recognized the opportunity offered by SAF and other clean fuels and preserved the 45Z Clean Fuel Production Credit in last year’s One Big Beautiful Bill Act.
To further enhance the 45Z credit, bipartisan legislation has been introduced in the House and Senate that would reinstate the bonus credit for SAF to $1.75 and extend 45Z through 2033. These bills, both referred to as the Securing America’s Fuels (SAF) Act, would strengthen the 45Z credit and provide the necessary policy signal to further scale SAF in the United States. The introduction of this bipartisan legislation reflects the importance of further strengthening incentives for SAF, and the recognition among members of Congress of the opportunity for SAF to support farmers, create jobs, strengthen U.S. energy security, ensure American leadership in export markets, and reduce the aviation sector’s environmental impact. We applaud and welcome this leadership.
U.S. airlines are not waiting for the future to act. We are delivering results today and building on a strong foundation for even greater progress tomorrow. With continued collaboration and sensible policy, SAF can help ensure that America leads the world in cleaner skies and strong, competitive aviation for generations to come.
• Kevin Welsh is vice president for environmental affairs and chief sustainability officer at Airlines for America.
Please read our comment policy before commenting.