Virgin Atlantic’s historic transatlantic flight on 100% sustainable aviation fuel set for Nov. 28
Virgin Atlantic and Rolls-Royce confirmed July 20 the successful sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) blend ground test on the Rolls-Royce Trent 1000 engine. The test marks a key milestone in the project, which will see the world’s first 100 percent SAF flight travel across the Atlantic from London Heathrow to New York JFK on a Boeing 787, set to take off Nov. 28.
In addition to the test, fuel suppliers Air BP and Virent have been announced to supply the 60 metric tons of SAF to be used in the flight, 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 percent and 12 percent blend ratio.
Virgin Atlantic said it is committed to finding more sustainable ways to fly on its mission to “Net Zero 2050.”
Already operating one of the most fuel- and carbon-efficient fleets across the Atlantic, this flight builds on the airline’s 15-year track record for leading on SAF.
Demonstrating that through radical collaboration, industry can deliver 100 percent SAF in today’s engine, airframes and fuel infrastructure for long-haul flights.
SAF typically delivers CO2 lifecycle-emissions savings of more than 70 percent while performing like traditional jet fuel.
SAF has a fundamental role to play in aviation’s decarbonization and pathway to Net Zero 2050.
Today, SAF represents less than 0.1 percent of jet-fuel volumes and fuel standards allow for just a 50 percent SAF blend in commercial jet engines.
The one-off Virgin Atlantic flight in November will demonstrate the potential of SAF as a 100 percent drop-in replacement for fossil fuel today.
The realization of the 100 percent SAF transatlantic flight taking to the skies is a challenging task requiring cross-industry collaboration and dedicated project teams working on the research, testing and operations to make it happen.
The Virgin Atlantic-led consortium, jointly funded by the U.K. Department for Transport, includes Rolls-Royce, Boeing, University of Sheffield, Imperial College London and Rocky Mountain Institute.
The successful bench-engine test is a key milestone but further permissions and safety approvals are required for the flight to take off in November.
Virgin Atlantic and the consortium will leverage the 100 percent SAF transatlantic flight to further SAF use, as well as addressing other environmental impacts of the sector.
The project will demonstrate further reductions in CO2 from operational efficiencies, contribute to research and development into the non-CO2 effects of flying, and provide an end-to-end lifecycle analysis of the flight.
Any residual CO2 emissions from the flight will be mitigated using innovative carbon removals from biochar projects.
“The 100 percent sustainable aviation fuel transatlantic flight will be a historic moment in aviation’s roadmap to decarbonization,” said Shai Weiss, CEO of Virgin Atlantic. “Alongside fleet transformation, SAF is the most readily available way for our industry to decarbonize, but currently there’s not enough supply and without it and the radical collaboration required to produce it, we can’t meet our 2030 targets. We need U.K. government support to create a U.K. SAF industry to allow for every single flight out of the U.K. to operate with 100 percent SAF—if we make it, we can fly it.”
Rob Watson, the president of civil aerospace for Rolls-Royce, said, “Confirming that we have successfully completed the ground test of the Trent 1000 engine today, using the chosen 100 percent SAF blend, gives us increased confidence for the engine’s performance and operation ahead of the flight this November. The flight will represent an incredible milestone for the entire aviation industry in its journey towards net-zero carbon emissions.”
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