Virgin Atlantic has operated its first transatlantic flight using fully sustainable aviation fuel (SAF). The flight from London Heathrow Airport to John F Kennedy Airport in New York was operated by a Boeing 787 wide-body aircraft and took 7 hours and 16 minutes. The airline said that this flight confirms the safety of SAF and its viability as a solution for decarbonising long-haul aviation. This was reported by Aviation Week.
The flight used an SAF blend consisting of 88% hydroprocessed hydro esters and fatty acids (HEFA) made from waste fats. The remaining 12% is synthetic aromatic paraffin (SAK) derived from plant sugars. Virgin said SAK is required in 100% SAF blends to give the fuel the aromatics needed for engine performance.
The flight comes just days after International Civil Aviation Organisation (ICAO) member states agreed a new global SAF system that aims to increase the use of alternative fuels. With hydrogen and electric technologies not yet ready for widespread use, SAF is seen as the most realistic solution to reduce CO2 emissions in the coming decades. However, despite the benefits, the cost of the clean fuel is significantly higher than standard jet fuel, making it difficult to be widely used.
Virgin said SAF currently accounts for less than 0.1 per cent of global jet fuel volumes, and its aim was to demonstrate the potential of SAF as a safe replacement for fossil jet fuel. The carrier also wants the flight to help improve scientific understanding of SAF’s impact on inversion trails and particulate matter.
