• News
    • Tech News
    • AI
  • Gadgets
    • Apple
    • iPhone
  • Gaming
    • Playstation
    • Xbox
  • Science
    • News
    • Space
  • Streaming
    • Netflix
  • Vehicles
    • Car News
  • Social Media
    • WhatsApp
    • YouTube
  • Advertise
  • Terms
  • Privacy & Cookies
  • LADbible Group
  • LADbible
  • UNILAD
  • SPORTbible
  • GAMINGbible
  • Tyla
  • FOODbible
  • License Our Content
  • About Us & Contact
  • Jobs
  • Latest
  • Topics A-Z
  • Authors
Facebook
Instagram
X
TikTok
Snapchat
WhatsApp
Submit Your Content
Virgin Atlantic flight fuelled by cooking oil to fly from Heathrow to New York

Home> News

Published 09:28 28 Nov 2023 GMT

Virgin Atlantic flight fuelled by cooking oil to fly from Heathrow to New York

Could this be the start of a new era in sustainable travel?

Prudence Wade

Prudence Wade

Hopping on a flight could be about to come with a lot less environmental guilt, if Virgin founder Sir Richard Branson has anything to do with it.

Virgin Atlantic is about to make the first transatlantic flight fuelled by, in part, cooking oil - making for a much greener journey.

On Tuesday morning a Boeing 787 Dreamliner airplane will take off from London Heathrow and make its way to New York's JFK airport.

John Lamparski / Stringer / Getty
John Lamparski / Stringer / Getty

Advert

Unfortunately, you won't be able to buy a seat on this flight - instead, bigwigs like Branson, the UK's Transport Secretary Mark Harper and Virgin Atlantic chief executive Shai Weiss will be among the passengers.

The flight's engine will use 100% pure sustainable aviation fuel (Saf), which is made from sustainable sources such as agricultural waste and used cooking oil, meaning its production involves using about 70% less carbon.

It's a huge step towards the aviation industry becoming more sustainable - currently Saf makes up only 0.1% of aviation fuel used globally.

The main problem? Saf is currently several times more expensive to produce than conventional jet fuel, but hopefully this will change in the future.

Advert

While the Virgin flight is momentous, it's not the first transatlantic flight powered by 100% Saf - one of US company Gulfstream Aerospace's business jets took home that prize earlier this month.

But Virgin Atlantic's flight will be the first of its kind by a large passenger aircraft. The company has had a bit of help to get to this milestone - last year the UK Government gave it up to £1 million to plan and operate the flight, to show the effectiveness of Saf.

Steve Parsons/PA
Steve Parsons/PA

Last week, the UK Department for Transport (DfT) said the flight will “usher in a new normal for international travel” and make “guilt-free flying a reality”.

Advert

But not everyone is quite so thrilled with the news - particularly campaign group Aviation Environment Federation (AEF).

AEF policy director Cait Hewitt said: “The idea that this flight somehow gets us closer to guilt-free flying is a joke.

“Saf represent around 0.1% of aviation fuel globally and will be very hard to scale up sustainably.”

She accused the aviation sector of being “misleading” over the impact of using Saf on carbon emissions.

Advert

She added: “Hopefully, we’ll have better technological solutions in future but, for now, the only way to cut CO2 from aviation is to fly less.”

Featured Image Credit: NurPhoto / coffeekai /Getty

Advert

Advert

Advert

Choose your content:

a day ago
  • a day ago

    Vitaly Zdorovetskiy unrecognisable in before and after prison images as Philippines case updated

    Some major charges have been dropped

    News
  • a day ago

    Insane photograph shows full Airbus after Saudi prince booked 80 seats on plane for his falcons

    Birds on a plane

    News
  • a day ago

    Stunning amount 50 Cent's $455,000 Bitcoin investment is worth today after 2014 investment

    50 Cent would be extremely rich if he has held onto his Bitcoin holdings

    News
  • a day ago

    The 'best' smartphone of the year confirmed and it's not what you'd expect

    Who came out on top between Apple, Samsung, and Google?

    News
  • Elon Musk claims it'll soon be possible to fly from London to New York in under 30 minutes at mind-blowing speeds
  • Fastest object ever made flies 435,000mph and could go from London to New York in 29 seconds
  • New skyscraper set to dominate New York skyline stands 4,000 ft tall and has a bizarre U shape
  • Leaked texts from Elon Musk show uncomfortable response he had to boss of $1,700,000,000,000 oil fund when invited for dinner