Sustainable Aviation Fuel (SAF) has been positioned as a critical component in the industry’s attempts to decouple aviation from the environmental damage it causes. This is illustrated by IATA’s estimate that SAF could contribute around 65 per cent of the reduction in emissions needed by aviation to reach net-zero by 2050.

Virgin Atlantic’s “Flight100” is the world’s first 100 per cent SAF flight by a commercial airline across the Atlantic. It was flown on 28th November 2023 on a Boeing 787, using Rolls-Royce Trent 1000 engines and is being dubbed “the future of flight.”

The importance of the flight lies in its significance as a major milestone towards making air travel more environmentally friendly repurposing waste products into jet fuel. The fuel, made from waste products, delivers CO2 lifecycle emissions savings of up to 70 per cent, whilst performing like the traditional jet fuel it replaces. Importantly, current fuel standard only allow for a 50 per cent SAF blend in commercial jet engines. This flight proves, “the challenge of scaling up production is one of policy and investment, and industry and government must move quickly.”

UK Transport Secretary, Mark Harper, said:

“The historic flight, powered by 100 per cent sustainable aviation fuel, shows how we can both decarbonise transport and enable passengers to keep flying when and where they want. This government has backed today’s flight to take-off and we will continue to support the UK’s emerging SAF industry as it creates jobs, grows the economy and gets us to Jet Zero.”

Flight100 was the product of a Virgin Atlantic-led consortium, including Boeing, Rolls-Royce, Imperial College London, University of Sheffield, ICF and Rocky Mountain Institute, in partnership with Department for Transport. The impressive milestone speaks to the importance of collaboration in the pursuit of decarbonisation.

Although SAF is set to play a crucial role in the future of aviation it only represents less than 0.1 per cent of global jet fuel volumes today. The problem lies in scaling up production to meet the growing global demand. In an interview earlier this year, Eddie Wilson, CEO, Ryanair DAC shared his thoughts on how this problem must be tackled.

 

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