The world’s first transatlantic flight, which will be operated exclusively with so-called sustainable aviation fuel and is scheduled to take off from London on November 28th, received the green light from the British aviation regulator CAA on Monday, as it announced in a press release.
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The CAA has granted British airline Virgin Atlantic “approval to operate the world’s first transatlantic flight using 100% sustainable aviation fuel (SAF),” the regulator’s statement said.
Virgin Atlantic still needs to obtain approval from American, Irish and Canadian regulators as the flight will pass through those countries’ airspace.
SAF is made from used oils, wood residues or algae and can be used in current aircraft in addition to kerosene (up to 50%). They are seen as the key lever for decarbonising the sector in the coming decades, but their production is still in its infancy and they are expensive.
Virgin Atlantic plans to launch a Boeing 787 with Rolls-Royce engines running only on this fuel from Heathrow Airport in London to JFK Airport in New York on November 28th.
The British government announced last December that it would support “up to £1 million” for this project, led by the airline in collaboration with American plane maker Boeing, British engine maker Rolls-Royce and hydrocarbon giant BP.
The approval granted on Monday “follows a program of technical investigations” carried out by the regulator, including ground tests on a Rolls-Royce Trent 1000 engine, the CAA said.