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WELCOMEABOARD,
and thanks for choos-
ing United. Continental and United, as
separate airlines before our merger, had
solid track records of improving aircra
fuel efficiency and introducing sustain-
ability programs. Taken together, we’ve
improved our aircra fuel efficiency by 32
percent since 1994. As we take delivery of
new, fuel-efficient aircra , like the Boeing
787 Dreamliner powered by advanced-
generation GEnx engines, and continue
to retire older, less fuel-efficient aircra ,
our fuel efficiency will only increase.
Eco-Skies represents our commit-
ment to the environment and the work
we’re doing to reduce our impact on the
environment in the air, on the ground at
airports, across our other facilities, and in
our communities.
In November, we made hi story
when we operated the first commercial
revenue flight in the U.S. powered by
biofuel. Although biofuels need to be
both scalable and salable (producible in
large quantities at a price comparable to
traditional hydrocarbons) to be success-
ful commercially, I’m proud of our initial
steps to help prove the capabilities of this
environmentally friendly fuel source. The
fuel we used on this historic flight was a
blend of traditional jet fuel and sustain-
able, next-generation advanced biofuel
derived from microbial algae. This was
a drop-in fuel, meaning it required no
modifications to the aircra or engines.We
are in the process of negotiating an agree-
ment to purchase 20million gallons of this
advanced algae-derived biofuel a year.
Assisting in the development of
advanced biofuels is just one of the many
initiatives we’re investing in today to help
shape an environmentally sustainable
tomorrow. We continue to improve our
fuel efficiency by investing in new, fuel-
efficient aircraft and engines, installing
winglets (which increase fuel efficiency
by up to 5 percent), streamlining operat-
ing procedures, increasing use of ground
power (instead of onboard auxiliary power
units), and reducing onboardweight.We’re
also engaged in a number of sustainability
programs, including in-flight and facility
aluminum and paper recycling, carpet
recycling, sustainable product usage,
electronic boarding passes, alternatively
fueled and electric ground equipment, and
carbon offsets.
We’re focused on building a sustainable
future by creating the world’s leading
airline—one that remains stable and prof-
itable in our turbulent industry, delivers
an excellent product to our customers and
our communities, and takes responsible
actions that reduce our impact on the
environment.
We appreciate your business. Thanks
for flying United.
Creating a
Sustainable Future
PRESIDENT AND CHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICER,
UNITED AIRLINES
HEMISPHERESMAGAZINE.COM
•
FEBRUARY 2012
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