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The UK has granted Virgin Atlantic a license for its first transatlantic flight, which will be powered entirely by sustainable aviation fuel (SAF). The decision follows a technical review by Virgin Atlantic and is supported by Boeing, Rolls-Royce, BP and other companies. Rob Bishton, chief executive of the UK Civil Aviation Authority (CAA), said the license reflects the industry’s commitment to sustainable development and pursuit of technological innovation.
The aviation industry has a huge carbon footprint, and SAF is a biofuel with lower carbon emissions, but is expensive to produce. Airlines use SAF to reduce carbon emissions but have warned the switch will be gradual and costly, potentially leading to higher ticket prices and lower passenger demand growth.
Virgin Atlantic will seek approval from aviation authorities in the United States, Ireland and Canada, subject to CAA approval, as the flight will traverse the airspace of those countries. The project, part-funded by the UK government, aims to demonstrate the feasibility of sustainable fuels in flight.
Virgin Atlantic CEO Shai Weiss has pledged to increase SAF usage to 10% by 2030, calling on the government to play a role in supporting the domestic SAF industry.
(Source: Science and Technology Times Image source: freepik)
