Microsoft (NASDAQ:MSFT) said Thursday it plans to buy alternative jet fuel for some Alaska Airlines (NYSE:ALK) flights, the technology giant’s latest effort to reduce carbon emissions, this time those generated by its frequent business travel.
The pandemic has devastated air travel demand, particularly for lucrative business trips, but even the maker of the Teams video conferencing app is preparing for a rebound.
"We believe that as we return to the skies, the travel routes we’ve had... will resume at the level they had been before," said Judson Althoff, who heads Microsoft’s worldwide commercial business. "This gives us the ability to get ahead of all of that because the climate crisis can’t wait."
Microsoft pledged in January to become "carbon negative" by 2030, meaning it would remove more carbon from the atmosphere than it emits. Commercial air travel contributes 2% to 3% of global carbon emissions.
The fuel, made out of waste oil from sources like cooking or agriculture, is blended with traditional jet fuel and will be distributed by Amsterdam-based SkyNRG at Los Angeles International Airport.
Microsoft and Alaska declined to say how much the fuel will cost or disclose the volume purchased. Microsoft said it is meant to cover carbon emissions generated from its business travel on the company’s most commonly booked routes: from Seattle to Los Angeles, San Francisco and San Jose, California.
Redmond, Washington-based Microsoft is Alaska Airlines’ second-largest corporate customer after Amazon (NASDAQ:AMZN).
MSFT shares gained 98 cents to $215.78, while those for ALK sagged 26 cents to $39.43.
