Historic Transatlantic Journey Powered by Cooking Oil Begins

The first-ever transatlantic flight fueled by 100% sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) took off from Heathrow on November 28. The Virgin Atlantic Boeing 787 Dreamliner flight to New York JFK departed from the airport around midnight. On board the plane were Sir Richard Branson, the founder of Virgin Atlantic, and Mark Harper, the transport secretary. However, there were no paying passengers on the flight.

SAFs are made from renewable biomass and waste resources and can be used in jet fuel up to a maximum of 50% when blended with kerosene. “The world will always assume something can’t be done until you do it,” said Richard Branson before joining the flight. “The spirit of innovation is getting out there and trying to prove that we can do things better for everyone’s benefit.”

Virgin Atlantic shared a video of the historic transatlantic flight, stating, “History at 38,000ft. Virgin Atlantic is currently flying the world’s first 100% Sustainable Aviation Fuel flight across the Atlantic by a commercial airline. Flight100 marks the culmination of more than a year of radical cross-industry collaboration to see this take to the skies.”

The UK government views this flight as a significant milestone in making air travel more environmentally friendly as the world strives to achieve its net zero emissions goal by 2050. Last December, the UK government pledged up to $1.26 million in support of the project, which was led by Virgin in collaboration with the University of Sheffield, US aircraft manufacturer Boeing, and British engine manufacturer Rolls-Royce.

British Transport Secretary Mark Harper expressed the government’s commitment to supporting the emerging SAF industry, stating that it creates jobs, boosts the economy, and helps achieve the goal of Jet Zero.

The video of the flight can be viewed on Virgin Atlantic’s Twitter page.