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Virgin Atlantic has made history by conducting the world’s first flight using 100 per cent Sustainable Aviation Fuel (SAF) from London Heathrow to New York JFK. The flight, known as Flight100, has proved that SAF is a safe drop-in replacement for fossil-derived jet fuel, and the only mid-term solution to decarbonising long haul aviation.
The flight was made possible through a year of radical collaboration by a consortium led by Virgin Atlantic, which included Boeing, Rolls-Royce, Imperial College London, University of Sheffield, ICF and Rocky Mountain Institute, in partnership with the Department for Transport.
SAF, made from waste products, delivers CO2 lifecycle emissions savings of up to 70 per cent, while performing like the traditional jet fuel it replaces. It has a significant role to play in the decarbonisation of long haul aviation, and pathway to Net Zero 2050.
While other technologies such as electric and hydrogen remain decades away, SAF can be used now. Today, SAF represents less than 0.1 per cent of global jet fuel volumes and fuel standards allow for just a 50 per cent 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.
Flight100 will also 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.
The SAF used on Flight100 is a unique dual blend; 88 per cent HEFA (Hydroprocessed Esters and Fatty Acids) supplied by AirBP and 12 per cent 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.
Virgin Atlantic said it is committed to finding more sustainable ways to fly, 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 the development of SAF at scale.
Virgin Atlantic’s CEO, Shai Weiss, said that “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 decarbonising 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.” Virgin Atlantic’s founder, Sir Richard Branson, added that “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 upgrade.”
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