Global airline alliance oneworld and investment firm Breakthrough Energy Ventures (BEV) are together launching a new investment fund to advance sustainable aviation fuel (SAF).
Compared to conventional jet fuel, SAF can decrease lifecycle emissions by up to 80%. However, further investment and infrastructure is required for it to contribute more substantially to emissions reduction in aviation. Currently, demand far outstrips supply, and prices are far less competitive than fossil fuels – two adoption barriers the investment fund seeks to remove.
The aviation industry is one of world’s most carbon-intensive, with the IEA estimating that flights and related activities are responsible for 2.5% of global emissions. Reducing this percentage is key to mitigating the effects of climate change and securing a sustainable future for the industry’s 86.5 million jobs.
How will the new partnership work?
oneworld represents fifteen world-class airlines, including Qatar Airways and British Airways. Alaska Airlines and American Airlines are primary investors in the new BEV project, with support from oneworld alliance member airlines International Airlines Group (IAG). The fund aims to develop SAF into an affordable fuel alternative, advancing production methods that can meet global demand.
Robert Isom, chief executive officer of American Airlines and chairman of oneworld, commented:
By investing in the SAF technologies of the future, American and our oneworld partners are making a business decision to accelerate the development of novel technologies with the potential to reach larger scale at lower prices than current technologies can achieve.
We believe reducing the emissions from our operation meets the demands of our customers, will make our business more competitive, and will enable us to continue to deliver the enormous economic benefits of commercial aviation for generations to come.
To date, Breakthrough Energy Ventures has raised more than US$3.6 billion in funding for zero-emissions projects. The venture capital firm was founded by Bill Gates and has supported over 110 cutting-edge companies in the clean energy sector.
Eric Toone, chief technology officer at Breakthrough Energy and managing partner at Breakthrough Energy Ventures, said:
The oneworld BEV Fund is built to identify and scale breakthrough SAF technologies that can deliver real emissions reductions for jet fuel, compete with fossil-based fuels on cost, and integrate seamlessly with today’s aviation infrastructure.
These are complex systems-level challenges that will take time to solve, and the fund is built with the long-term vision and staying power to help bring solutions to market.
oneworld has been named the Official Alliance Partner of Aviation Festival Americas 2026. Join us to advance the future of sustainable aviation.
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