Virgin jetliner makes first-ever transatlantic flight with low-carbon fuel
- British airline Virgin Atlantic piloted the first long-haul flight powered entirely by Sustainable Aviation Fuel
- SAFs are produced from renewable biomass and waste resources, and seen as key to decarbonising the aviation sector
The first commercial airliner to cross the Atlantic on a purely high-fat, low-emissions fuel flew Tuesday from London to New York in a step toward achieving what supporters called “jet zero”.
The Virgin Atlantic Boeing 787 flight was powered without using fossil fuels, relying on so-called sustainable aviation fuel made up largely of tallow and other waste fats.
“The world will always assume something can’t be done, until you do it,” said Virgin founder Richard Branson, who was aboard the flight with others including corporate and government officials, engineers and journalists.
The UK Transport Department, which provided €1 million (US$1.27 million) to plan and operate the flight, called the test a “huge step towards jet zero” to make air travel more environmentally friendly, though large hurdles remain in making the fuel widely available.
While governments have long talked about decarbonising air travel, the transition has been moving at the pace of a dirigible.
