Virgin Atlantic Set to Make History with First Fully ‘Sustainable’ Transatlantic Flight

In a revolutionary step for the aviation industry, Virgin Atlantic is set to operate the first-ever transatlantic flight powered solely by Sustainable Aviation Fuel (SAF). Scheduled for November 28th, the Virgin Atlantic Boeing 787 Dreamliner will depart from London’s Heathrow Airport, destined for JFK in New York.

Source: Dj’s Aviation/YouTube

Given that air travel contributes to 10 percent of the U.S.’s greenhouse gas emissions, it’s crucial to find more sustainable solutions for air travel. Traditionally, flights have been powered by jet fuel, but Virgin Atlantic is shifting the paradigm by fueling this particular journey entirely with an eco-friendly alternative.

Currently, airlines are only allowed to operate flights with a mix of 50 percent sustainable fuels and traditional jet fuel. However, Virgin Atlantic has collaborated with Air BP and Virent to pioneer a new fuel that can reduce lifecycle CO2 emissions by up to 70 percent.

This innovative SAF is crafted from used cooking oil and household food waste, collected by BP, and transformed into a “drop-in” fuel blendable with jet fuel. For the upcoming transatlantic flight, the fuel will be utilized in its pure form, except for a blend of 12 percent aromatics to meet the performance needs of the flight.

Andreea Moyes, global aviation sustainability director at Air BP, highlighted the importance of SAF, stating, “SAF is currently the most viable option to help us meet the industry’s net-zero ambition.”

Virgin Atlantic and Rolls Royce have conducted thorough ground tests of the SAF in the Rolls-Royce Trent engines that power the 787 Dreamliner. This move follows a pilot project from AirAsia in India, the first flight to be powered solely by SAF.

Despite these breakthroughs, the current targets require UK airlines to fuel their fleets with just 10 percent SAF by 2030, while the U.S. aviation industry aims for access to 3 billion gallons of SAF by the same year. This groundbreaking Virgin Atlantic flight represents a major stride in the race to decarbonize aviation, making the sky a little greener.

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