By U.Okay. Civil Aviation Authority | November 07, 2023
The U.Okay. Civil Aviation Authority has issued Virgin Atlantic with a allow to fly a world-first transatlantic one hundred pc sustainable aviation gasoline (SAF) flight.
Virgin Atlantic plans to fly throughout the Atlantic from London Heathrow to New York JFK on Nov. 28 to check and showcase the feasibility of flying on one hundred pc SAF.
The allow follows a program of technical opinions by the regulator, which analyzed totally different points of the deliberate flight, together with endeavor floor testing with Rolls Royce on a Trent 1000 engine operating on 100percent SAF.
Led by Virgin Atlantic and partly funded by Division for Transport, preparation for the flight has concerned a consortium of firms comprised of Boeing, Rolls-Royce, BP, and others, to reveal SAF as a substitute for common jet gasoline.
Rob Bishton, chief govt on the U.Okay. Civil Aviation Authority, stated, “Because the U.Okay.’s aviation regulator, it’s vital that we safely allow the trade to embrace extra sustainable practices and push the boundaries of what’s potential to create a greener aviation trade.
“This allow not solely permits Virgin Atlantic and others to showcase their dedication to sustainability, but in addition serves for instance of how the trade is all the time exploring new applied sciences.
“Innovation and sustainability are very important areas of labor, however they have to go hand in hand with security. This can be a reminder that collectively we will drive change, cut back emissions, and make the skies greener for generations to return.”
Transport Secretary Mark Harper stated, “The world’s journey to decarbonizing flight begins right here within the U.Okay., with at the moment’s announcement helped by Authorities funding so individuals can proceed to journey how they need, in a manner that’s match for the long run.
“By turning waste supplies into the gasoline of the long run that can energy our aviation sector, it’s U.Okay. innovation that’s main the way in which with the world’s first transatlantic 100p ercent SAF powered flight.”
Shai Weiss, CEO of Virgin Atlantic, stated, “The Civil Aviation Authority’s allow to fly Flight100 marks a key milestone and an enormous achievement for all of the groups working in the direction of this historic flight. Getting thus far has been greater than a 12 months within the making and brought radical collaboration throughout our consortium companions and authorities. We’re dedicated to utilizing 10 p.c SAF by 2030, however to get there we want the federal government to help the creation of a U.Okay. SAF trade. We all know that if we will make it, we will fly it.”
The U.Okay. Civil Aviation Authority labored intently with the consortium all through their utility and can proceed to work alongside the trade to be taught extra concerning the efficiency and affect of sustainable aviation fuels.
Virgin Atlantic had been awarded as much as £1 million U.Okay. authorities funding in December 2022, following a problem from the Division for Transport to help the trade in reaching the primary transatlantic flight on an plane powered by one hundred pc SAF.
The Allow types one of many approvals required for the flight and paves the way in which for Virgin Atlantic to submit functions to Federal Aviation Administration, Irish Aviation Authority, and Transport Canada to permit the flight to journey via U.S., Irish and Canadian airspace.
SAF is gasoline derived from non-petroleum based mostly renewable sources that’s able to getting used as a alternative for, or blended with, kerosene. SAF can presently be utilized in jet engines to a most mix of fifty p.c with conventional kerosene with out the necessity for any modifications. There are a variety of processes to provide SAF, together with algae, synthesized fuels from hydrogen waste, or from straight capturing carbon dioxide.
When totally changing kerosene, SAF might cut back lifecycle carbon emissions by over 70 p.c in comparison with typical fossil jet gasoline.
The federal government’s Jet Zero technique, printed in July 2022 as a roadmap for reaching net-zero aviation, contains SAF as a key consideration.
