Get Ready for the First Zero-Emission London-New York Flight, Coming in 2023
What will make this a net zero flight is the use of 100% SAF (meaning it won’t be blended with conventional kerosene) plus the removal of carbon through biochar credits. This will be the culmination of several SAF-related steps taken in previous years, including various flight tests. Another milestone was also achieved in the UK, when the Royal Air Force (RAF)’s Voyager tanker completed a 100% SAF-powered flight, considered the first of its kind globally. Rolls-Royce is also part of this upcoming historic endeavor, with its Trent 1000 engines powering Virgin Atlantic’s Boeing 787. The engine maker is also part of a wider, British-led consortium, together with other major players, including Boeing, ICF, Imperial College London, University of Sheffield, and the Rocky Mountain Institute (RMI). Also, green jet fuel production is still limited, anywhere in the world. Therefore, government funded projects, such as this one, are aiming to achieve 100% SAF certification and to scale up production and availability. The first ever 100% SAF flight across the Atlantic will hopefully mark the beginning of a new stage in this process.