As per ESG Today, Aircastle, Air New Zealand and Google are among the recently-joined partners, as SAF is currently regarded by many experts as one of the best short-term solutions to reduce the emissions related to the aviation sector. The use of kerosene in the aviation industry currently accounts for 2-3% of the world's total carbon footprint.

Launched in 2023, United Airlines Ventures (UAV) Sustainable Flight Fund supports SAF-focused startups who research and develop the technology required to produce the clean fuel alternative. So far, United Airlines supported startups such as Viridos, which develops an algae-to-biofuel manufacturing process, and carbon capture and removal company Svante.

Currently, the total number of partners invested in the project reached 22 and it includes companies in the aviation supply chain, as well as engineering and technology specialists.

Andrew Chang, Managing Director of United Airlines Ventures, said that "SAF is the best tool we have to decarbonize airplanes, but we don’t have enough of it. To create the fuel supply we need for our fleet, United recognized that we would have to help build a brand-new industry from scratch – like wind and solar in previous decades. As part of our effort to build a new sustainable aviation ecosystem, we recruited a group of partners with the industry expertise to support our startups with both financial and strategic capital, to help them navigate the entire process from conception to commercialization."

United Airlines has committed to cut its emissions to zero by 2050 without relying on carbon offsets, having invested in the production of nearly 19 billion liters of SAF.