The Georgia Sustainable Aviation Fuel Coalition, a 19-entity group anchored by Delta Air Lines, launched in late September 2026 to evaluate whether Georgia can profitably supply its own aviation fuel from forestry and agricultural biomass.

Delta's $8.9 billion SAF commitment and Boeing's inclusion as an anchor partner give the coalition direct ties to the largest operator and a leading airframer at Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport, the world's busiest airport by passenger traffic.

What does the coalition aim to do?

The group's brief is to study feedstock availability, conversion economics and infrastructure needs for an in-state alcohol-to-jet and related SAF pathway. The LanzaJet facility in Soperton, Ga., between Macon and Savannah, grand-opened on January 24, 2024 and counts Delta as its largest strategic investor.

Founding members Metro Atlanta Chamber, Georgia Farm Bureau, Georgia Forestry Association and Delta Air Lines lead the effort. Anchor and supporting partners include Boeing, Cox Enterprises, Norfolk Southern, RYAM and Gulfstream Aerospace. Ten research, education and community partners — among them Georgia Tech, the University of Georgia, Georgia Southern University, the Technical College System of Georgia and Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport itself — will provide analysis, training and outreach.

What is the policy backdrop?

Georgia House Bill 2092, enacted in 2025, requires producers whose operations generate emissions through carbon sequestration to incorporate 1% renewable fuel content, opening a new outlet for agricultural and forestry residues. Forest-products companies in the state have begun responding to that signal.

Metro Atlanta Chamber CEO Katie Kirkpatrick said the chamber has been monitoring similar coalitions in other U.S. states that have moved faster on feedstock aggregation and tax-credit monetization, and warned that Georgia risks losing ground to competitors without coordinated action.

How much feedstock is available?

Independent analysis cited by the coalition concluded that no more than 6% of Georgia's forestland should be dedicated to supporting new SAF production facilities without crowding out the secondary markets — lumber, panels, pulp and packaging — that sustain rural employment. The figure is a working ceiling that will need refinement as primary data on residue yields, harvesting costs and competing end uses is compiled.

Forestry residues alone cannot meet projected demand. Agricultural residues, dedicated energy crops and used cooking oil will need to supplement woody biomass, requiring new collection logistics in regions where farms and sawmills do not currently overlap. The Georgia Forestry Association has argued that biofuel demand must not erode the traditional wood markets that anchor rural counties.

What are the cost and carbon trade-offs?

The coalition will need to weigh SAF's higher per-gallon production cost against federal tax credits and state incentives that narrow the gap with conventional Jet A. Delta has signaled that as SAF production scales globally, larger batch sizes and standardized feedstocks should bring delivered prices closer to fossil jet fuel while delivering the lifecycle-emission cuts airlines need to satisfy regulators and corporate customers.

What happens next?

The coalition plans to publish an economic feasibility study and use it to coordinate feedstock aggregation, conversion technology choices and policy advocacy. Its recommendations will shape how aggressively Delta, Gulfstream and other Atlanta-based operators pursue in-region SAF sourcing as carbon-pricing and low-carbon fuel standard policies in the European Union, the United Kingdom and several U.S. states tighten global demand.