Airlines are shifting their approach to a low-carbon future, seeking not only to offset the emissions they generate, but remove them altogether and then use the CO2 to make sustainable aviation fuel.
For United Airlines, this means teaming up with startups that are working to pull carbon dioxide out of the air, mimic photosynthesis to produce jet fuel and revolutionize aircraft design to slash emissions.
Earlier this year, the Chicago-based carrier joined forces with Heirloom, a company specializing in direct air capture of carbon dioxide, in a partnership that not only sees the companies sequester CO2 but also — potentially — use it to make sustainable aviation fuel, or SAF. In another deal announced Tuesday, United said it was working with Twelve, a startup that uses “industrial photosynthesis” to produce SAF from CO2 and water.
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