Groundbreaking Transatlantic Flight Using Greener Fuel Lands in the US

November 28, 2023

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by Katy Austin (BBC) The first transatlantic flight by a large passenger plane powered only by alternative fuels has landed in the US. Operated by Virgin Atlantic, it flew from London's Heathrow to New York's JFK airport.

Airlines see the flight, which is supported by government funding, as demonstrating that a greener way of flying is possible.

But a lack of fuel supply remains a challenge, while other technology will be needed to hit emissions targets.

The flight was a one-off of its kind so far, and is not carrying fare-paying passengers.

The Conservative party's Henry Smith was on board and said that the flight was a "significant UK aviation achievement".

So-called sustainable aviation fuels (SAF) can be made from a variety of sources, including crops, household waste and cooking oils.

For this flight, a Boeing 787 was filled with 50 tonnes of SAF. Two types were used, with 88% derived from waste fats and the rest from the wastes of corn production in the US.

Following test and analysis, the flight was approved by UK regulator the Civil Aviation Authority earlier this month. A number of companies have been involved in the project including engine-maker Rolls-Royce and energy giant BP.

The aviation industry is particularly difficult to decarbonise, but airline bosses view SAF as the most effective tool available to help bring its net emissions down to zero.

In a post on X, formerly Twitter, Prime Minister Rishi Sunak hailed Virgin Atlantic's achievement but his claim that the flight was "net zero" was criticised.

Planes still emit carbon when using SAF, but the industry says the "lifecycle emissions" of these fuels can be up to 70% lower.

Shai Weiss, chief executive of Virgin Atlantic, said the airline's flight on Tuesday was "proving... that fossil-derived fuel can be replaced by sustainable aviation fuel".

"It's really the only pathway to decarbonising long-haul aviation over and above having the youngest fleet in the sky," he told the BBC's Today programme. "It is a really momentous achievement."

However, he said there was not enough SAF currently, and added that due to the fuel being more expensive, flight prices would end up being higher.

Virgin founder Sir Richard Branson admitted it was "going to take a while" before there was enough SAF for everybody to use.

"But you have to start somewhere," he told the BBC. "And if we didn't prove it can be done, you would never, ever get sustainable aviation fuel."

SAF is already used in small amounts, blended with traditional jet fuel, but accounts for less than 0.1% of the aviation fuel consumed around the world.

It currently costs more than kerosene, and relatively small amounts are made. Aircraft are usually only allowed to use up to 50% in a blend.

There are no dedicated commercial SAF plants in the UK, although the government aim is to have five under construction by 2025, supported by grant funding.

Airlines see the first long-haul flight of a large passenger plane using 100% SAF as a significant milestone. But experts say such fuels are not a magic bullet.

Dr Guy Gratton, associate professor of aviation and the environment at Cranfield University, said: "We can't produce a majority of our fuel requirements this way because we just don't have the feedstocks. And even if you do, these fuels are not true 'net zeros'."

He said the growing use of SAF had to be treated as "a stepping stone towards future, genuinely net zero technologies".

"This might be e-fuels [which are manufactured using captured carbon dioxide or carbon monoxide, together with hydrogen], it might be hydrogen, it might be some technologies that we still really only have at the laboratory stage."

The policy director of the Aviation Environment Federation campaign group, Cait Hewitt, said the idea that the flight meant the UK was closer to "guilt-free" flying was "a joke".

She said there might be better technology in the future to cut carbon emissions but, for now, the only way to achieve this is to "fly less".

UK ministers and the industry have insisted they believe "net zero" by 2050 is achievable with passenger numbers increasing.

Transport Secretary Mark Harper told BBC Breakfast: "There are those campaigners who want to tell ordinary people that they can't fly. That's their view, they're entitled to it. The government doesn't agree with them.

He said using SAF produced about 70% less carbon emissions than traditional fuels "so that is a really big step forward".

"We are also involved with supporting the industry develop hydrogen and also electric flights for shorter-haul flights, so all of that technology is being developed."

Mr Harper acknowledged that using SAF was "not the only solution", but said: "It is a really important step with those other technologies to make sure we can carry on flying and protect the environment."

The UK government plans to require 10% of aviation fuel to be SAF by 2030.

Airlines UK, which represents UK-registered carriers, said they must be able to access enough affordable SAF to meet such a requirement, with as much as possible coming from the UK.

Its boss Tim Alderslade said: "The last thing we want is higher fuel costs for UK passengers compared to the rest of Europe and the US, with worse sustainability outcomes and thousands of new jobs lost overseas." READ MORE

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Excerpt from Virgin Atlantic/PR Newswire: "If you make it, we will fly it"

Flight100 proves Sustainable Aviation Fuel (SAF) is a safe drop-in replacement for fossil-derived jet fuel and the only viable mid-term solution for decarbonizing long-haul aviation.
The flight marks a world first on 100% SAF by a commercial airline across the Atlantic, flown on a Boeing 787, using Rolls-Royce Trent 1000 engines.
Milestone made possible through year of radical collaboration by a Virgin Atlantic-led consortium, including Boeing, Rolls-Royce, Imperial College London, University of Sheffield, ICF and Rocky Mountain Institute, in partnership with the UK Department for Transport
Imagery and video available here

Virgin Atlantic's historic flight on 100% Sustainable Aviation Fuel (SAF) takes off from London Heathrow to New York JFK today, marking the culmination of a year of radical collaboration, to demonstrate the capability of SAF as a safe drop-in replacement for fossil-derived jet fuel, compatible with today's engines, airframes and fuel infrastructure.

SAF has a significant role to play in the decarbonization of long-haul aviation, and pathway to Net Zero 2050. The fuel, made from waste products, delivers CO2 lifecycle emissions savings of up to 70%, whilst performing like the traditional jet fuel it replaces.

While other technologies such as electric and hydrogen remain decades away, SAF can be used now. Today, SAF represents less than 0.1% of global jet fuel volumes and fuel standards allow for just a 50% SAF blend in commercial jet engines. Flight100 will prove that the challenge of scaling up production is one of policy and investment, and industry and government must move quickly to create a thriving UK SAF industry.

As well as proving the capabilities of SAF, Flight100 will assess how its use affects the flight's non-carbon emissions with the support of consortium partners ICF, Rocky Mountain Institute (RMI), Imperial College London and University of Sheffield. The research will improve scientific understanding of the effects of SAF on contrails and particulates and help to implement contrail forecasts in the flight planning process. Data and research will be shared with industry, and Virgin Atlantic will continue its involvement with contrail work through RMI's Climate Impact Task Force, which is part-funded by Virgin Unite.

The SAF used on Flight100 is a unique dual blend; 88% HEFA (Hydroprocessed Esters and Fatty Acids) supplied by AirBP and 12% SAK (Synthetic Aromatic Kerosene) supplied by Virent, a subsidiary of Marathon Petroleum Corporation. The HEFA is made from waste fats while the SAK is made from plant sugars, with the remainder of plant proteins, oil and fibres continuing into the food chain. SAK is needed in 100% SAF blends to give the fuel the required aromatics for engine function. To achieve Net Zero 2050, the innovation and investment needed across all available feedstocks and technologies must be harnessed to maximize SAF volumes as well as continuing the research and development needed to bring new zero emission aircraft to market.

Virgin Atlantic is committed to finding more sustainable ways to fly, on its flightpath to Net Zero 2050, taking action across every part of the journey. Already operating one of the youngest and most fuel and carbon efficient fleets in the sky, Flight100 builds on the airline's 15-year track record for leading on development of SAF at scale. Collectively, industry and government must go further, to create a UK SAF industry and meet aviation's 10% SAF by 2030 target, capitalizing on the significant social and economic benefits it will bring – an estimated contribution of £1.8 billion in Gross Value Added to the UK and more than 10,000 jobs.

The airline acknowledged the SAF Grand Challenge President Biden set in 2021 for the US, promising the adoption of 3 billion gallons of SAF by 2030. Alongside the Inflation Reduction Act, the US government's commitments to stimulate private investment into the US SAF industry reinforce the importance of close collaboration within the industry and globally to achieve emissions reductions targets.

Shai Weiss, Chief Executive Officer, Virgin Atlantic said: "Flight100 proves that Sustainable Aviation Fuel can be used as a safe, drop-in replacement for fossil-derived jet fuel and it's the only viable solution for decarbonizing long-haul aviation. It's taken radical collaboration to get here and we're proud to have reached this important milestone, but we need to push further. There is simply not enough SAF and it's clear that in order to reach production at scale, we need to see significantly more investment. This will only happen when regulatory certainty and price support mechanisms, backed by government, are in place. Flight100 proves that if you make it, we'll fly it."

Sir Richard Branson, Founder, Virgin Atlantic said: "The world will always assume something can't be done, until you do it. The spirit of innovation is getting out there and trying to prove that we can do things better for everyone's benefit.

"Virgin Atlantic has been challenging the status quo and pushing the aviation industry to never settle and do better since 1984. Fast forward nearly 40 years, that pioneering spirit continues to be Virgin Atlantic's beating heart as it pushes the boundaries from carbon fibre aircraft and fleet upgrades to sustainable fuels.

"I couldn't be prouder to be onboard Flight100 today alongside the teams at Virgin Atlantic and our partners, which have been working together to set the flight path for the decarbonization of long-haul aviation."

UK Transport Secretary Mark Harper said: "Today's historic flight, powered by 100% sustainable aviation fuel, shows how we can both decarbonize transport and enable passengers to keep flying when and where they want.

"This Government has backed today's flight to take-off and we will continue to support the UK's emerging SAF industry as it creates jobs, grows the economy and gets us to Jet Zero."

Dame Karen Pierce, His Majesty's Ambassador to the United States said: "This world first marks a crucial step in the UK's journey towards Jet Zero aviation emissions.

"We look forward to continuing our close work alongside the US to increase the use of this pioneering fuel as we welcome the sustainable flights of the future."

Executive Director of the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey, Rick Cotton said: "As part of our agencywide goal to reach net-zero emissions by 2050, the Port Authority strongly encourages and supports efforts by our airport stakeholders to reduce their carbon footprint and to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. We are thrilled to welcome the first transatlantic flight using 100% sustainable aviation fuel into John F. Kennedy International Airport and hope that the success of Virgin Atlantic's flight to New York will inspire the entire airport community to move forward with aggressive sustainability efforts."

Sheila Remes, Vice President of Environmental Sustainability, Boeing said: "In 2008 Virgin Atlantic and Boeing completed the first commercial SAF test flight on a 747 and today we will accomplish yet another significant milestone utilizing a 787 Dreamliner. This flight is a key step toward our commitment to deliver 100% SAF-compatible airplanes by 2030. As we work toward the civil aviation industry's net-zero goal, today's historic journey highlights what we can achieve together."

Simon Burr, Group Director of Engineering, Technology & Safety, Rolls-Royce plc, said: "We are incredibly proud that our Trent 1000 engines are powering the first ever widebody flight using 100% Sustainable Aviation Fuel across the Atlantic today. Rolls-Royce has recently completed compatibility testing of 100% SAF on all our in-production civil aero engine types and this is further proof that there are no engine technology barriers to the use of 100% SAF. The flight represents a major milestone for the entire aviation industry in its journey towards net zero carbon emissions."

About Virgin Atlantic 
Virgin Atlantic was founded by entrepreneur Sir Richard Branson in 1984, with innovation and amazing customer service at its core. In 2023, Virgin Atlantic was voted Britain's only Global Five Star Airline by APEX for the seventh year running in the Official Airline Ratings. Headquartered in London, it employs more than 7,500 people worldwide, flying customers to 30 destinations across four continents throughout the year.

Alongside shareholder and Joint Venture partner Delta Air Lines, Virgin Atlantic operates a leading transatlantic network, with onward connections to over 200 cities around the world. In February 2020, Air France-KLM, Delta Air Lines and Virgin Atlantic launched an expanded Joint Venture, offering a comprehensive route network, convenient flight schedules, competitive fares and reciprocal frequent flyer benefits, including the ability to earn and redeem miles across all carriers. Virgin Atlantic joined SkyTeam in March 2023 as the global airline alliance's first and only UK member airline, enhancing the alliance's transatlantic network and services to and from Heathrow and Manchester Airport.

Virgin Atlantic has been pioneering sustainability leadership for more than 15 years, committing to Net Zero by 2050 and continuous action that reduces environmental impact. The airline operates one of the youngest and most fuel-efficient fleets in the skies and has reduced its absolute carbon emissions by 35% over the last decade. In October 2022, Virgin Atlantic welcomed the first of 16 A330-900neos to the fleet, continuing its transformation towards 100% next generation aircraft by 2027. Later in 2023, Virgin Atlantic is leading an industry consortium to deliver the first 100% SAF flight across the transatlantic. Demonstrating that 100% SAF can be used safely as a drop-in fuel in existing infrastructure, engines and airframes. The need to scale production is an industry imperative and Virgin Atlantic is committed to radical collaboration across the energy chain to support commercialization ahead of 2030.

For more information visit www.virginatlantic.com or via Facebook, Twitter and Instagram @virginatlantic. READ MORE