Virgin Atlantic will operate the world’s first “net zero” transatlantic flight, the Department for Transport (DfT) has announced. The airline has secured £1 million of Government funding to fly a Boeing 787 jet from London Heathrow to New York JFK next year using sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) instead of kerosene, with the airline and its partners putting in similar funding.
The SAF is expected to be produced primarily from waste oil and fats, such as used cooking oil. SAF reduces carbon emissions by more than 70% compared with kerosene.
The use of SAF combined with carbon removal credits will make the flight “net zero”, according to the DfT. The flight is likely to take place towards the end of 2023 with no fare-paying passengers on board.
