zzdcar
Home
/
Reviews
/
Beyond Cars
/
Virgin Will Fly The First Transatlantic Flight Powered By 'Sustainable' Fuel
Virgin Will Fly The First Transatlantic Flight Powered By 'Sustainable' Fuel-April 2024
2024-02-19 EST 22:13:48

A photo of a Virgin Atlantic Boeing 787 Dreamliner.

It’s no secret that we need to uncover ways to make air travel more sustainable. In the U.S. alone, of greenhouse gas emissions, and as that percentage could go up. To combat this, aircraft builders and engine manufacturers have begun experimenting with novel ways of powering flight, and even . But now, one British airline will trial the first transatlantic flight to run on something called Sustainable Aviation Fuel (SAF).

On November 28th, a Virgin Atlantic will take off from London’s Heathrow on a flight to JFK in New York. But instead of its two Rolls-Royce Trent 1000 engines running on traditional jet fuel, the plane will be fueled for the entire trip on a sustainable alternative.

This will be a first for the industry, as presently airlines are only permitted to operate flights with up to 50 percent in with traditional jet fuel. For the test flight, Virgin Atlantic has partnered with Air BP and Virent, which will provide a new fuel that cuts lifecycle CO2 emissions by as much as 70 percent.

A photo of a Rolls Royce Trent 1000 jet engine.

To make its SAF, such as used cooking oil and household food waste. The waste is collected by BP, refined and turned into a fuel that can be blended with jet fuel as necessary. Because of this, it’s often called a “drop-in” fuel, which helps cut some of the emissions from air travel.

However, for the Virgin Atlantic flight, this fuel won’t be blended with traditional kerosene fuels, and will instead be used solo – albeit blended with 12 percent aromatics, which helps it meet the performance needs of the flight.

“SAF is currently the most viable option to help us meet the industry’s net zero ambition and in the short and medium term it will be the only option for long-haul flights,” said Andreea Moyes, global aviation sustainability director at Air BP in a statement. “Moving our industry and policy towards the use of 100% SAF is important as we work in collaboration with key stakeholders to help decarbonize aviation.”

Prior to takeoff of the flight, Virgin Atlantic and Rolls Royce have carried out extensive ground tests of the fuel in the Rolls-Royce Trent engines that power the 787 Dreamliner. The Virgin test also follows a pilot project from AirAsia in India, which was the first flight to be .

Despite both the India test and this transatlantic flight relying solely on SAF, current targets only require airlines to fuel their fleets with 10 percent SAF by 2030 in the UK. Here in the U.S., the aviation industry hopes to have access to 3 billion gallons of SAF by 2030. The Biden administration also announced that by 2050, all domestic flights in the U.S. should be powered by SAF.

At , the global commercial airline industry consumed around 95 billion gallons of jet fuel over the year. In the U.S., commercial aviation burned through per day last year.

Comments
Welcome to zzdcar comments! Please keep conversations courteous and on-topic. To fosterproductive and respectful conversations, you may see comments from our Community Managers.
Sign up to post
Sort by
Show More Comments
Beyond Cars
YouTuber Gets Off Easy After Intentionally Crashing Plane
YouTuber Gets Off Easy After Intentionally Crashing Plane
YouTuber and former Olympian Trevor Jacob has lost his pilot license following into his plane crash. Jacob is found to have intentionally crashed his plane and may face further legal challenges going forward. On December 23, 2021 Trevor Jacob titled I Crashed My Plane. Jacob, a former U.S. Olympic Team...
Apr 3, 2026
Honda Once Built A Tiny Go-Anywhere Scooter With A Low Range Gearbox
Honda Once Built A Tiny Go-Anywhere Scooter With A Low Range Gearbox
The of the Honda Motor Company has achieved what many manufacturers could only dream of. Its Super Cub is the best-selling motor vehicle of all time selling to non-riders and bicycle riders. Its Gold Wing is the touring standard for countless riders. Sometimes Honda comes up with something sort...
Apr 3, 2026
This Turbocharged Bike Is Giving Me Really Bad Ideas
This Turbocharged Bike Is Giving Me Really Bad Ideas
Back in 1994 the Harley Sportster 1200 made an incredibly disappointing 50 horsepower and 55 lb-ft of torque. It was fine if you just wanted to ride around making potato-potato noises at fairly low speed, but if you wanted to really romp on it, you weren’t going anywhere particularly...
Apr 3, 2026
Pennsylvania's DOT Is Hiding Bridge Inspection Data From The Public
Pennsylvania's DOT Is Hiding Bridge Inspection Data From The Public
In late January, the Fern Hollow Bridge collapsed in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. Ten people were injured after the bridge fell into the ravine in Frick Park during an early weekday morning. In the wake of the collapse, it became clear that many tried to raise the alarm over the bridge’s...
Apr 3, 2026
Even Devoted Purists Can't Hate The Custom Bikes At The Handbuilt Motorcycle Show
Even Devoted Purists Can't Hate The Custom Bikes At The Handbuilt Motorcycle Show
When invited me to the last year, I didn’t have the heart to admit I’m somewhat of a . I had to stop myself from blurting out that I think an pays homage to the spirit of a motorcycle better than even the . Now, after getting a chance to...
Apr 3, 2026
The Lake Pontchartrain Causeway Can Take You To The End Of The World
The Lake Pontchartrain Causeway Can Take You To The End Of The World
Y’all, I need a break from . The Lone Star State , and the is my saint of a mother, but I do like to drive both east and west of here whenever possible. Maybe not north as much, since it’s Texas for another 850 miles. But following the...
Apr 3, 2026
Copyright 2023-2026 - www.zzdcar.com All Rights Reserved