The UK’s Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) has given permission for Virgin Atlantic to operate the first transatlantic flight using 100 per cent sustainable aviation fuel (SAF).
The landmark flight, partly funded by the UK government, is set to operate from London Heathrow to New York JFK airport on 28 November to test the feasibility of flying entirely on the sustainable fuel, which can reduce emissions by up to 80 per cent compared with traditional jet fuel.
The issuing of the CAA’s permit follows a programme of “technical reviews”, which analysed aspects of the planned flight including the ground testing of a Rolls-Royce Trent 1000 engine running entirely on SAF.
Preparation for the flight has involved a consortium of companies including Boeing, Rolls-Royce and BP who have been demonstrating how SAF can be used as an alternative to regular jet fuel. SAF is currently used by airlines as “drop in” fuel and mixed with traditional jet fuel.
Rob Bishton, chief executive of the CAA, said: “It’s important that we safely enable the industry to embrace more sustainable practices and push the boundaries of what’s possible to create a greener aviation industry.
“This permit not only allows Virgin Atlantic and others to showcase their commitment to sustainability, but also serves as an example of how the industry is always exploring new technologies.”
Virgin Atlantic was awarded up to £1 million UK government funding in December 2022, following a competition by the Department for Transport to support the first transatlantic flight powered solely by SAF.
Shai Weiss, CEO of Virgin Atlantic, said that securing the CAA permit was a “key milestone” ahead of the planned flight later this month.
“Getting to this point has been more than a year in the making and taken radical collaboration across our consortium partners and government,” added Weiss.
“We’re committed to using 10 per cent SAF by 2030, but to get there we need the government to support the creation of a UK SAF industry. We know that if we can make it, we can fly it.”
The airline will also have to secure permissions from the Federal Aviation Administration in the US, Irish Aviation Authority and Transport Canada to allow the flight to travel through US, Irish and Canadian airspace on 28 November.