A passenger jet powered by 100% sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) completed a London-to-New York journey on Tuesday, thus showcasing the potential of low-carbon options, which are a tiny fraction of the industry’s fuel mix, with conventional energy means still representing the norm.
Though this is a maiden voyage, this flight is not the first time the industry has staged demonstrations to highlight its aspiration to reduce emissions – and appeal for government support. This flight actually only carried Virgin’s founder, Richard Branson, and a few others, and it is set to return to London also using conventional jet fuel.
Airlines are banking on fuel made from waste to reduce their emissions by up to 70%, but the high cost and tight supply of materials needed to make SAF make large-scale production difficult. SAF accounts for less than 0.1% of total global jet fuel in use today and costs three to five times as much as regular jet fuel, points out Reuters.
The flight, operated by a Virgin Boeing (BA.N) 787 powered by Rolls-Royce (RR.L) Trent 1000 engines, is the first time a commercial airliner has flown long haul on 100% SAF.
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