United Airlines today further strengthened its reputation as an aviation industry leader in environmental sustainability by committing $40 million toward a new investment vehicle focused on accelerating the development of sustainable aviation fuels and other decarbonization technologies. The carrier, which earlier this year agreed to purchase up to 10 million gallons of sustainable aviation fuel over the next two years, will look to collaborate with other environmentally conscious partners on this extraordinary initiative. Among all airlines around the world, United holds more than 50% of all publicly announced purchase commitments to using sustainable aviation fuels and is the only U.S. carrier to currently use this fuel on a continuous basis.

"United has been an industry leader in environmental sustainability – including being the first U.S. carrier to announce a bold pledge to cut our carbon footprint in half by 2050 relative to 2005," said Scott Kirby, United's president. "However, to achieve this goal, we can't be content as a leading airline undergoing an evolution to adapt to climate change. We aspire to be the airline leading the revolution to fight climate change, and this new initiative will further empower us to reduce our impact on the environment and fly towards a more sustainable future."