LONDON - Virgin Atlantic will fly from London to New York on Nov. 28 using 100% sustainable aviation fuel (SAF), after Britain gave it permission, paving the way for a world first as airlines step up efforts to decarbonize travel, Reuters reports. Continue reading original article.
The Military & Aerospace Electronics take:
7 November 2023 - The world’s first 100% SAF flight travel across the Atlantic from London Heathrow to New York JFK on a Boeing 787 Dreamliner, set to take off on 28 November 2023.
In addition to the test, fuel suppliers Air bp and Virent have been announced to supply the 60 tons of SAF to be used in the world first, supporting consortium research, testing and the flight itself. The SAF will be produced through the Hydroprocessed Esters and Fatty Acids (HEFA) pathway as well as synthetic aromatic kerosene (SAK) SAF at an 88% and 12% blend ratio.
SAF typically delivers CO2 lifecycle emissions savings of more than 70% whilst performing like the traditional jet fuel it replaces. SAF has a fundamental role to play in aviation’s decarbonisation and pathway to Net Zero 2050. Today, SAF represents less than 0.1% of jet fuel volumes and fuel standards allow for just a 50% SAF blend in commercial jet engines. The one-off Virgin Atlantic flight in November will demonstrate the potential of SAF as a 100% drop-in replacement for fossil fuel today.
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Jamie Whitney, Senior Editor
Military + Aerospace Electronics
