Taking a step towards sustainability, WestJet has made a three-month commitment to operate all flights from San Francisco International Airport (SFO) to Calgary International Airport (YYC) with sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) produced by Neste. This SAF Destination program is the first of its kind in Canada.
Angela Avery, WestJet Group Executive Vice-President, and Chief People, Corporate, and Sustainability Officer, said: “We are thrilled that WestJet will be the first Canadian air carrier to operate a dedicated flight route using SAF. This is an integral step in decarbonizing Canada's aviation sector. WestJet is committed to working alongside our partners to reduce our environmental footprint as we aim to drive greater awareness of the importance of a SAF ecosystem in Canada."
As a part of the sustainability effort, WestJet purchased Neste MY Sustainable Aviation Fuel to fly 40 flights over three months from San Francisco to Calgary. WestJet's immediate investment in SAF over the next three months will directly reduce greenhouse gas emissions on these routes by 186 tons, with the equivalent of more than 1550 out of 5300 guests onboard taking a carbon-neutral flight en route to Calgary.
Thorsten Lange, Executive Vice President, Renewable Aviation at Neste said: “Neste is ready to play its part to support the Canadian industry's aspirational goal of 10% SAF use by 2030. We have been supplying SAF at the San Francisco International Airport since 2020. It is exciting that we are also supplying Neste MY Sustainable Aviation Fuel to WestJet at the airport, enabling passengers to lower their carbon footprint from air travel."
WestJet is committed to achieving net-zero emissions by 2050. WestJet’s fleet has an average age of under 10 years and is among the youngest of established North American carriers. As an added effort towards a sustainable future, WestJet has signed a partnership with Aero Design Labs to modify the airline's 737-700 NG aircraft for greater reduced emissions and improved fuel efficiency.