Boeing 787 First To Make Fossil Fuel-Free Flight From London To NY

The first commercial airliner to cross the Atlantic on purely high-fat, low-emissions fuel flew Tuesday from London to New York, marking a significant step toward achieving what supporters called “jet zero,” as reported by Brian Melley for the Associated Press (AP).

The Virgin Atlantic Boeing 787 flight was powered without using fossil fuels, relying on so-called sustainable aviation fuel made up largely of tallow and other waste fats. I Photo: Virgin Galactic

The Virgin Atlantic Boeing 787 flight was powered without using fossil fuels, relying on so-called sustainable aviation fuel made up largely of tallow and other waste fats.

“The world will always assume something can’t be done, until you do it,” said Virgin founder Richard Branson, who was aboard the flight with others including corporate and government officials, engineers, and journalists.

The UK Transport Department, which provided £1 million ($1.27 million) to plan and operate the flight, called the test a “huge step towards jet zero” to make air travel more environmentally friendly, though large hurdles remain in making the fuel widely available.

Sustainable aviation fuel, which reduces greenhouse gas emissions by about 70%, is the best near-term way for the international aviation industry to achieve its net-zero target by 2050, the US Energy Department said, though it called the goal aspirational.

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