Hawaiian Airlines and Alaska Airlines plan to start operating some of their aircraft using biofuel produced in Hawaii from early next year. The two airlines, which are owned by Alaska Air Group, will also invest in a joint venture aimed at developing a local supply chain for sustainable aviation fuel in the state, reports The Garden Island.
The airlines are partnering with several companies, including fuel refinery operator Par Hawaii, to promote the cultivation of Camelina sativa, commonly known as false flax. The crop is being developed as a source of biofuel for aviation and as feed for cattle and poultry.
The airlines said the initiative will help increase the use of cleaner aviation fuel, cut greenhouse gas emissions and support Hawaii’s target of meeting all its energy needs from renewable sources by 2045.
Alanna James, sustainability innovation director at Hawaiian and Alaska, said the airlines see reducing environmental impact as part of their responsibility while continuing to provide essential air services across the islands and beyond. She said the companies have a long-term plan to achieve net-zero carbon emissions and that sustainable aviation fuel will play a key role in reaching that goal.
Hawaiian began working with Par Hawaii in 2022 to study whether sustainable aviation fuel could be produced commercially in the state. The effort was later expanded after Alaska Air Group completed its acquisition of Hawaiian Airlines in September 2024.
Par Hawaii, a unit of Texas-based Par Pacific Holdings, has been converting part of its Kapolei refinery over the past few years to produce renewable fuels for power generation and for use in air, land and marine transport. The company initially invested $90 million in the project and later sold a 36.5 per cent stake to a joint venture between Japan’s Mitsubishi Corp. and ENEOS Corp. for $100 million.
Once operational, the facility will be the largest renewable fuel plant in Hawaii, with the capacity to produce around 61 million gallons of fuel a year. The plant is designed to make up to 60 per cent aviation fuel, though most of the output in the early stages will be renewable diesel sold to markets on the US mainland.
Par Hawaii said renewable fuel production is expected to begin between January and March next year, with initial feedstock coming from canola oil, used cooking oil and animal fat imported from Canada.
Par Hawaii president Eric Wright said the progress toward producing aviation fuel locally has moved faster than expected since the initial study with Hawaiian Airlines began. He said the fuels produced could cut carbon emissions by as much as 80 per cent compared with conventional fuels.
Hawaiian and Alaska already use limited quantities of sustainable aviation fuel on some routes, but none of it is currently produced in Hawaii. The fuel can be used in existing aircraft engines, but at present it can only be blended up to 50 per cent with conventional jet fuel.
To develop a local source of fuel, Honolulu-based conservation firm Pono Pacific is leading efforts to grow Camelina in Hawaii. The company has been testing multiple non-GMO varieties of the crop across the islands in partnership with farms, agricultural groups and dairy producers. Pono Pacific is also exploring the use of by-products from Camelina oil extraction as animal feed.
The company plans to speed up Camelina cultivation next year, noting that the crop matures in under two months, resists pests and can be grown alongside food crops.
Pono Pacific said Camelina offers an opportunity for Hawaii to build a closed-loop model that supports renewable fuels, local agriculture and food security.
Even as work on local crops continues, Hawaiian and Alaska are expected to be the first buyers of aviation fuel produced at Par Hawaii’s facility. The airlines have not disclosed how much fuel they plan to use initially, describing the volumes as limited due to high costs and supply constraints.
Together, the two airlines use more than 200 million gallons of jet fuel in Hawaii each year, mostly for long-distance flights.
James said expanding the use of cleaner aviation fuel will require close cooperation among airlines, fuel producers, farmers, investors and government agencies, along with supportive policies and incentives.
The Hawaii Department of Transportation recently finalised a plan to sharply cut emissions from road, air and sea transport by 2045. The plan includes proposals for state tax credits to encourage the production and use of aviation biofuel, similar to incentives offered in other US states.
Transport department director Ed Sniffen said the initiative by the airlines and their partners marks an important step toward building a local, lower-emission aviation fuel supply that aligns with Hawaii’s clean energy goals.
