The first transatlantic flight powered only by “Sustainable Aviation Fuel” (SAF) is due to take off at 11.30am today from London Heathrow, destination New York JFK.
Virgin Atlantic is operating the Boeing 787 Dreamliner, branded as “Virgin100”, on the world’s busiest international air route. The airline has obtained special approval from British, Irish, Canadian and US aviation authorities to fly the pioneering mission.
The founder of Virgin Atlantic, Sir Richard Branson, and the transport secretary, Mark Harper, will be aboard the aircraft – though it will not carry any paying passengers.
SAF is made from sustainable sources such as agricultural waste and used cooking oil, meaning its production involves using about 70 per cent less carbon.
The two Rolls-Royce engines will be mainly fuelled by processed waste fats, known as HEFA (hydroprocessed esters and fatty acids). But 12 per cent of plant-based “synthetic aromatic kerosene” (SAK) is added to provide the necessary mix for the engines to function normally.
Virgin Atlantic claims the fuel offers “CO2 lifecycle emissions savings of up to 70 per cent, whilst performing like the traditional jet fuel it replaces”. The emissions from the 3,451-mile flight will be exactly the same as with a kerosene-powered flight.
Savings are claimed from elsewhere in the lifecycle – for example CO2 absorbed from the atmosphere during the growth of plants, and from avoiding household waste going to landfill.
Environmental campaigners dispute the benefits, and say only a cutback in flying can significantly reduce the harm caused by aviation.
But speaking exclusively to The Independent, Virgin Atlantic’s chief executive, Shai Weiss, said: “To think that we can magic up elimination of flying, I think is naive to an extreme.”
His airline says the aim is to demonstrate that SAF is a “safe drop-in replacement for fossil derived jet fuel, compatible with today’s engines, airframes and fuel infrastructure”.
Sir Richard 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…
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