Virgin Atlantic’s trial of flying the Atlantic on sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) flight has been granted a permit to fly by the Civil Aviation Authority.

Virgin Atlantic plans to fly across the Atlantic from London Heathrow to New York JFK on 28 November 2023 using only SAF.

SAF is fuel derived from non-petroleum based renewable sources. SAF can currently be used in jet engines to a maximum blend of 50 per cent with traditional kerosene without the need for any modifications but following a programme of technical reviews by the regulator, which analysed different aspects of the planned flight including undertaking ground testing with Rolls Royce on a Trent 1000 engine running on pure SAF, permission has been granted for a fully renewable flight.

Led by Virgin Atlantic and partly funded by Department for Transport, preparation for the flight has involved a consortium of companies comprised of Boeing, Rolls-Royce, BP, and others, to demonstrate SAF as an alternative to regular jet fuel. The programme is a part of the Government’s Jet Zero strategy, published in July 2022 as a roadmap for achieving net-zero aviation, includes SAF as a key consideration.

The Permit is one of the approvals required for the flight and paves the way for Virgin Atlantic to submit applications to Federal Aviation Administration, Irish Aviation Authority, and Transport Canada to allow the flight to travel through US, Irish and Canadian airspace.

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