Billionaire Richard Branson-owned Virgin Atlantic will make history this month by flying from London to New York on November 28, using 100% sustainable aviation fuel (SAF). This comes after the airline received the permit from Britain for the same.
Britain’s Civil Aviation Authority on Monday gave its permit to Virgin Atlantic for a transatlantic flight powered by SAF, showcasing the ways in which the fuel can be used to decarbonise flying. The permit was given after a series of technical reviews by the UK regulator. The reviews included a successful ground testing of running the Rolls-Royce Trent 1000 engine that powers Virgin’s 787 aircraft. The airline will need the permit from the US, Ireland and Canadian regulators.
The airline expressed its hopes for the flight to underscore the imperative of addressing the accessibility challenge associated with Sustainable Aviation Fuel (SAF). At present, SAF is produced in limited quantities and carries a price tag three to five times higher than conventional jet fuel.
Virgin Atlantic CEO Shai Weiss said, “We’re committed to using 10% SAF by 2030, but to get there we need the government to support the creation of a UK SAF industry.”
Sustainable Aviation Fuel
Airlines are placing their hopes on Sustainable Aviation Fuel (SAF), which utilizes waste materials like cooking oils to achieve emission reductions of up to 70% compared to traditional fossil fuels. This transition aims to decarbonize air travel in anticipation of the emergence of new electric and hydrogen-powered alternatives in the forthcoming decades. At present, SAF is used to power jet engines only as part of a blend with traditional kerosene. It accounted for 0.5% of aviation fuel in 2021. However, numerous airlines have set a goal of reaching 10% SAF usage by 2030, and the industry’s ambition of achieving “net-zero” emissions by 2050 hinges on SAF contributing to 65% of the overall fuel mix.
