I’m a huge fan of sustainability efforts, especially as they intersect with the travel industry.
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In just about every sector, there’s a promising new green initiative. From resorts with coveted carbon-neutral statuses to airlines allowing passengers to donate more to carbon-emission-relieving projects to locally sourced menus at restaurants to underwater sculpture parks that regrow coral reefs, travelers today have more options than ever before when it comes to sustainability.
The creative ideas are there—and they’re abundant, scientifically sound, and constantly being refined and optimized.
That being said, travel infrastructure isn’t always up-to-snuff. Sustainability projects, as much as I love them and as much as other travelers are demanding them, must be operationally feasible.
As of 2025, many hospitality groups and travel companies are playing catch-up to make their practices, operations, and products more sustainable.
But some are actually ahead of the curve, providing a clear framework for ongoing sustainability measures that other groups can adopt.
Enter Pittsburgh Airport, one of the US’s most quietly sustainable travel hubs. A few years back, it opted to go green with on-site clean energy generation. Now, it’s taking things even further with plans to launch a sustainable aviation fuel refinery on-site.
Pittsburgh Airport goes green in 2021
Back in 2021, Pittsburgh Airport announced plans to create an on-site microgrid that would provide all the energy necessary to run the airport. Since it went live, the microgrid has used a solar panel facility and natural gas-fired generators that fully power the nearly 9,000-acre Pittsburgh Airport property.
Thanks to a private and publicly funded partnership between IMG Energy Solutions, Peoples Gas, and the Allegheny County Airport Authority, Pittsburgh Airport has run almost entirely on sustainable forms of energy. That means it uses the traditional grid as a backup.
For fans of sustainability, that’s a huge coup. But even if you couldn’t care less about green initiatives in the travel world, it’s still a commendable act.
Remember earlier this year when Heathrow Airport was thrown into chaos due to a power grid problem in London? What about a similar blackout in Portugal and Spain? Airports with sustainable, on-site power grids don’t need to worry about blackouts from the traditional grid.
Plans for an on-site refinery are taking shape
Pittsburgh Airport’s impressive microgrid has since influenced new projects for major hubs like JFK and Houston International Airport. But that project took off in 2021, meaning Pittsburgh Airport staff have had plenty of time to start innovating in other directions.
Their latest idea? Take that microgrid innovation and apply it toward on-site aviation fuel refineries. With a sterling reputation for improving green aviation operations, Pittsburgh Airport has been able to attract investors and partners.
Specifically, with the clean fuel-based company Avina, which will turn alcohol into aviation fuel using a Houston-based firm called KBR.
This type of fuel is known as sustainable aviation fuel (aka SAF). It’s a biofuel that has a much lower carbon footprint and can be mixed with traditional jet fuel. But it’s not totally carbon neutral; most sources say that it could be as much as 80% more efficient.
(If you want to learn more about SAF, you can explore this handy summary from the International Air Transport Association.)
The on-site refinery should produce around 120 million gallons of sustainable fuel each year, around 70 million of which would be used by the airport, according to airport CEO Christina Cassotis. The rest would be sold and shipped off-site.
Currently, Cassotis and company are working to generate more funds from another investment round before finalizing plans for the SAF refinery. Additionally, Pittsburgh Airport will be opening a new central terminal this autumn. Further SAF refinery announcements are expected around that time.
