Virgin Atlantic calls for government to commit to sustainable jet fuel
Virgin Atlantic is calling on the UK government to commit to making sustainable fuel a commercial reality after the first flight took place.
For the very first time, a batch of LanzaTech jet fuel has been used on a commercial flight – Virgin Atlantic’s VS16 flight from Orlando to London Gatwick, operated by a Boeing 747 aircraft.
The airline’s founder, Sir Richard Branson, greeted passengers on the historic flight when it arrived at Gatwick this morning.
"Long haul travel is more important than ever for connecting people around the world," he said.
"And it’s our responsibility to ensure we’re doing that in the most sustainable way possible. Working with LanzaTech will enable us to drastically reduce our carbon emissions and at the same time, help support UK industry. That’s why we’re so excited to showcase this fuel on its first commercial flight as we plan for the world’s first full scale jet fuel plant using this amazing new technology."
LanzaTech produces next generation ‘advanced’ fuels by recycling waste industrial gases such as those produced from steel making and other heavy industrial processes.
It converts them to ethanol, which can be used for a range of low carbon products, including jet fuel.
LanzaTech says it could have three plants running in the UK by 2025, producing up to 125 million gallons of sustainable fuel per year.
This would be enough to fly all Virgin Atlantic’s UK outbound flights as a 50:50 mix.
Bev
Editor in chief Bev Fearis has been a travel journalist for 25 years. She started her career at Travel Weekly, where she became deputy news editor, before joining Business Traveller as deputy editor and launching the magazine’s website. She has also written travel features, news and expert comment for the Guardian, Observer, Times, Telegraph, Boundless and other consumer titles and was named one of the top 50 UK travel journalists by the Press Gazette.
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