Virgin Atlantic Plans First-Ever 100% Sustainable Aviation Fuel-Powered Transatlantic Flight this Year
A consortium led by Virgin Atlantic announced today that it has scheduled the first-ever transatlantic flight using 100% sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) for November 28, 2023, following the successful completion of a key ground test, and pending further regulatory approvals and testing.
The upcoming flight, which still requires further regulatory approvals and testing, will be conducted on a Boeing 787 Dreamliner, which will fly from London Heathrow to New York JFK.
The consortium includes Rolls Royce, Boeing, University of Sheffield, Imperial College London and Rocky Mountain Institute, and the initiative is funded by the UK Government’s Department for Transport.
The announcement follows a pledge last year by the UK government to deliver the first-ever net-zero emissions transatlantic flight, powered by 100% sustainable aviation fuel by the end of 2023, and an announcement in December by the government that Virgin Atlantic had won a competition to receive funding to operate the flight.
