Virgin Atlantic passenger jet makes first ever cross-Atlantic flight using clean fuel

Virgin Atlantic is making its first ever transatlantic flight with a passenger aircraft powered solely by cleaner-burning aviation fuel (SAF).

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The Boeing aircraft is powered by Rolls-Royce Trent 1000 engines. Virgin Atlantic founder Richard Branson, UK Transport Minister Mark Harper and Virgin Atlantic CEO Shai Weiss are on board.

The Boeing 787 took off from London Heathrow Airport at 07:49 (EDT) or 04:49 (PDT). The flight to New York is expected to take approximately eight hours. If all goes according to plan, the passenger jet will land at John F. Kennedy International Airport at 15:40 (EDT) or 12:40 (PDT).

SAF is now used in jet engines as part of the mix along with paraffin. BP, Boeing and Rolls-Royce have been able to get permission to fly on clean fuel, which will significantly reduce emissions.

Virgin, British Airways and Air France plan to increase SAF from the current 0.1 per cent to 10 per cent by the end of this decade. By the middle of the XXI it will account for up to 65% of jet fuel. It should be noted, however, that it costs 300-400% more than paraffin.

Source: Reuters