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Delta Air Lines Partners with Shell and Port of Portland for First Commercial-Scale SAF Uplift at PDX

Delta has announced that in partnership with Shell and Portland International Airport (PDX), they have taken delivery of SAF into the PDX fuel system, marking the first commercial-scale uplift of SAF at the airport.


Port of Portland Fuel Farm - Courtesy Delta Air Lines
Port of Portland Fuel Farm - Courtesy Delta Air Lines

On Wednesday (September 3, 2025), Delta Air Lines announced that in collaboration with Shell and Portland International Airport (PDX), they have facilitated the delivery of Sustainable Aviation Fuel (SAF) into the PDX fuel system, marking the first commercial-scale SAF uplift at PDX.  This expands Delta’s SAF footprint, while positioning PDX to capitalize on the continued growth of SAF across the U.S.  The batch of over 400,000 gallons of blended SAF was made in the U.S. from waste-derived feedstock.  Shell supplied the neat SAF shipment to Zenith Terminal in Portland where it was blended with traditional jet fuel to meet regulatory requirements, and then delivered to PDX via barge, truck and pipeline.  The blended SAF was then taken up into the airport’s privately owned fuel supply system.  


In Wednesday’s announcement, Delta’s SAF Director, Charlotte Lollar, said,


“Every SAF delivery is a powerful example of how industry collaboration can unlock markets for sustainable aviation fuel.  By working with Shell and the Port of Portland to tap into existing infrastructure, we’re able to access SAF at more airports and continue to prove its viability and ultimately scale it in a way the industry needs.” 


Also commenting on the milestone SAF uptake, the Port of Portland’s Chief Aviation Officer, Dan Pippinger, said,


“We're excited about this step toward bringing Sustainable Aviation Fuel to PDX. It’s a move that can help improve local air quality and cut down on greenhouse gas emissions, which is great news for our communities.  We're looking forward to working with our partners to make sure state and local policies support development of the infrastructure and market needed to bring SAF here on a larger scale – and unlock all of the health and environmental benefits it offers.” 


On a lifecycle basis, SAF can reduce carbon emissions by over 80 percent compared to conventional fossil-based jet fuel.  Existing jet fuel infrastructure can be leveraged to deliver SAF to airports today, and it is safe to use an up to a 50 percent SAF blend in current aircraft engines.  Today, there is not enough SAF in production to fuel the world’s airlines for a single week, which highlights the essential need to scale production.


 


Source: Delta Air Lines

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