November 28th will go down in aviation history as Virgin Atlantic has announced it will fly from London Heathrow to New York JFK using a 100% Sustainable Aviation Fuel (SAF) blend.
The airline will use a Boeing 787 Dreamliner - complete with Rolls-Royce Trent 1000 engines - for this much-anticipated transatlantic journey.
To support the project, Air bp and Virent, the fuel suppliers, will provide 60 tonnes of SAF. The SAF will be produced through a combination of the Hydroprocessed Esters and Fatty Acids (HEFA) pathway and synthetic aromatic kerosene (SAK) SAF, blended at a ratio of 88% and 12% respectively.
SAF is known to deliver more than a 70% reduction in CO2 emissions throughout its lifecycle, while maintaining performance comparable to traditional jet fuel. It plays a crucial role in decarbonising aviation and achieving Net Zero emissions by 2050. Currently, SAF represents less than 0.1% of total jet fuel volumes, and fuel standards permit only a 50% SAF blend in commercial jet engines. The upcoming Virgin Atlantic flight will demonstrate the potential of SAF as a drop-in replacement for fossil fuel.
Virgin Atlantic has dedicated itself to finding sustainable solutions for air travel as part of their commitment to achieving Net Zero emissions by 2050. With an already fuel-efficient fleet operating across the Atlantic, this flight builds on the airline's 15-year history of leadership in SAF usage.
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