Today, Virgin Atlantic will operate a groundbreaking flight from London Heathrow to New York JFK on 100% Sustainable Aviation Fuel (SAF). The flight marks a world first on 100% SAF by a commercial airline across the Atlantic, flown on a Boeing 787, using Rolls-Royce Trent 1000 engines.
This marks the successful culmination of a year-long collaborative effort aimed at demonstrating the potential of SAF as a safe and reliable alternative to fossil-based jet fuel. The flight serves as a proof of concept that SAF is compatible with current engines, airframes, and fuel infrastructure, and can be used as a drop-in replacement for fossil fuels.
SAF has a significant role to play in the decarbonisation of long haul aviation, and pathway to Net Zero 2050. The fuel, made from waste products, delivers CO2 lifecycle emissions savings of up to 70%, whilst performing like the traditional jet fuel it replaces.
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.
Shai Weiss – Chief Executive Officer, Virgin Atlantic
Rolls-Royce has recently completed compatibility testing of 100% SAF on all our in-production civil aero engine types and this is further proof that there are no engine technology barriers to the use of 100% SAF.
We are incredibly proud that our Trent 1000 engines are powering the first ever widebody flight using 100% Sustainable Aviation Fuel across the Atlantic today. Rolls-Royce has recently completed compatibility testing of 100% SAF on all our in-production civil aero engine types and this is further proof that there are no engine technology barriers to the use of 100% SAF.
Simon Burr – Group Director of Engineering, Technology & Safety, Rolls-Royce plc
SAF is now usable, unlike other technologies like electric and hydrogen, which are still decades away. Currently, SAF makes up less than 0.1% of the world’s jet fuel volumes, and commercial jet engines can only use a 50% SAF mix due to fuel requirements. Flight100 will demonstrate that policy and money are the key challenges in scaling up production, and that business and government need to act swiftly to establish a vibrant UK SAF sector.
As well as proving the capabilities of SAF, Flight100 will 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. Data and research will be shared with industry, and Virgin Atlantic will continue its involvement with contrail work through RMI’s Climate Impact Task Force, which is part-funded by Virgin Unite.
The SAF used on Flight100 is a unique dual blend; 88% HEFA (Hydroprocessed Esters and Fatty Acids) supplied by AirBP and 12% SAK (Synthetic Aromatic Kerosene) supplied by Virent, a subsidiary of Marathon Petroleum Corporation. While plant sugars are used to make SAK, waste lipids are used to make HEFA. Plant proteins, fats, and fibres are then passed into the food chain. SAK is needed in 100% SAF blends to give the fuel the required aromatics for engine function.
To achieve Net Zero 2050, the innovation and investment needed across all available feedstocks and technologies must be harnessed to maximIn order to achieve the goal of Net Zero by 2050, it is important to utilize all available feedstocks and technologies and invest in innovation. This will enable us to maximize the volumes of SAF (Sustainable Aviation Fuel) and also continue research and development to bring new zero-emission aircraft to the market.ise SAF volumes as well as continuing the research and development needed to bring new zero emission aircraft to market.
Virgin Atlantic 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.
Collectively, industry and government must go further, to create a UK SAF industry and meet aviation’s 10% SAF by 2030 target, capitalising on the significant social and economic benefits it will bring – an estimated contribution of £1.8 billion in Gross Value Added to the UK and more than 10,000 jobs.
This Government has backed today’s flight to take-off and we will continue to support the UK’s emerging SAF industry as it creates jobs, grows the economy and gets us to Jet Zero.
Mark Harper – Transport Secretary
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 upgrades to sustainable fuels.
Sir Richard Branson – Founder, Virgin Atlantic
Virgin Atlantic Airways Limited is a British airline with its head office in Crawley, West Sussex, England. The airline was originally established in 1984 as British Atlantic Airways. Its maiden flight from London-Gatwick to Newark took place on 22 June 1984.
The Airline uses mixed fleet of Airbus and Boeing wide-body aircraft and operates to destinations in North America, the Caribbean, Africa, the Middle East and Asia from its main hub at London-Heathrow and secondary hub at Manchester Airport.
Founded in 1982 as Rocky Mountain Institute, RMI is an independent, non-partisan, nonprofit that transforms global energy systems through market-driven solutions to align with a 1.5°C future and secure a clean, prosperous, zero-carbon future for all.
The company work in the world’s most critical geographies and engage businesses, policymakers, communities, and nongovernmental organizations to identify and scale energy system interventions that will cut greenhouse gas emissions at least 50 percent by 2030.
ICF International, Inc. is a Reston, Virginia-based global consulting and technology services company, which provides a range of services for governments and businesses, including strategic planning, management, marketing and analytics.
Rolls-Royce Holdings plc is a British multinational aerospace and defence company incorporated in February 2011. The company owns Rolls-Royce, a business established in 1904 which today designs, manufactures and distributes power systems for aviation and other industries.
The University of Sheffield is a prestigious public research university in Sheffield, South Yorkshire, England. Its history traces back to the foundation of Sheffield Medical School in 1828, Firth College in 1879 and Sheffield Technical School in 1884. University College of Sheffield was subsequently formed by the amalgamation of the three institutions in 1897 and was granted a royal charter as University of Sheffield in 1905 by King Edward VII.
The University is home to numerous research centres and institutes conducting cutting-edge research in areas such as advanced manufacturing, health sciences, sustainability, and digital innovation. Known for world-leading engineering research, the University leads collaboration with Harvard and MIT, and partnerships with over 125 companies including BAE systems, Siemens, Boeing, Rolls-Royce and Airbus at the 150-acre Advanced Manufacturing Park.
Imperial is a global top ten university with a world-class reputation in science, engineering, business and medicine. In 1907, Imperial College London was established by royal charter, unifying the Royal College of Science, the Royal School of Mines and the City and Guilds of London Institute.
Imperial has a long-term partnership with MIT, that dates back from World War II. The college promotes research commercialisation, partly through its dedicated technology transfer company, Imperial Innovations, which has given rise to a large number of spin-out companies based on academic research. Imperial was a critical contributor of the discovery of penicillin, and the invention of fibre optics.
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