Virgin Atlantic to launch first-ever net-zero transatlantic flight from London to New York in 2023

(Representational image: Philip Myrtorp via Unsplash)

Next year, Virgin Atlantic will launch the first-ever net-zero transatlantic flight from the UK, deploying government funding to fly across the pond on only sustainable aviation fuel (SAF), according to gov.uk website.

In 2023, Virgin Atlantic's flagship Boeing 787, powered by Rolls-Royce Trent 1000 engines, will depart from London Heathrow and fly to New York's John F. Kennedy Airport, a weekly flight taken by tens of thousands of travellers for work, family, and vacation. But this trip will not be like others.

In addition to being essential for decarbonizing aircraft, SAF has the potential to develop a £2.4 billion sector in the UK by 2040 and provide up to 5,200 jobs there by 2035.

Compared to conventional fossil jet fuel, SAF can reduce lifecycle carbon emissions by nearly 70% when entirely replacing kerosene. This flight is anticipated to be fuelled by SAF, which is mostly made from discarded cooking oil and other waste oils and fats. The net-zero flight will be achieved by using 100% SAF, combined with carbon removal through biochar credits – a material which traps and stores carbon taken from the atmosphere, said the website.

In addition to exploring how operational efficiency improvements, flight optimization, and carbon removals can contribute to achieving net-zero flights - not just in the UK, but for the global aviation industry as a whole - delivering the transatlantic flight will help to gather the data necessary to support ongoing and future work to test and certify higher blends of SAF.