Virgin Atlantic

Virgin Atlantic plans 100% SAF-fuelled transatlantic flight on 28 November

Share

Another Step in the Right Direction

Yesterday, Virgin Atlantic (Virgin), the British airline, received approval by the UK Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) to use 100% Sustainable Aviation Fuel (SAF) for the first ever long-haul test flight across the Atlantic Ocean from London Heathrow to New York JFK on November 28, 2023. We are of the opinion that this long-haul transatlantic flight would represent an important milestone toward the ultimate long-term goal of SAF transition at scale, providing a high-profile demonstration of the viability of the technology.

“Despite this positive development, broad 100% SAF usage at scale will take years as significant hurdles remain.” said Rohit Kumar, Assistant Vice President, Diversified Industries. “Technology questions regarding whether modifications to current SAF properties and/or existing aircraft will be required remain unanswered at this stage. In addition, higher cost of the fuel and production bottlenecks are also material challenges”.

We believe SAF will play an important role in the airline sector’s strategy to achieve its long-term decarbonisation targets and credit implication for airlines will depend on the impact from the higher cost of SAFs on air travel demand and airlines’ margins.

This post was published on 27 November 2023 20:50

André Orban

M. Sc. Engineering

Published by
André Orban

Recent Posts

Boeing announces FAA certification of 737 MAX 10

Boeing says the US Federal Aviation Administration has certified the 737-10, the largest member of…

20 October 2026

European Parliament backs stronger passenger rights enforcement and clearer flight refunds

The European Parliament has approved updated rules to strengthen passenger rights enforcement across transport modes,…

20 October 2026

Three passengers hospitalised after illness on Eurowings Rhodes–Düsseldorf flight

Three passengers were taken to hospital after several travellers became unwell on a Eurowings flight…

20 October 2026

LATAM flight cancelled after reported fire at Lima airport

A LATAM Airlines Perú flight to Piura was cancelled before take-off at Lima’s Jorge Chávez…

20 October 2026

Air Serbia adds Miami among six new routes for summer 2027

Air Serbia has opened bookings for six new routes from Belgrade for summer 2027, led…

20 October 2026

London Heathrow adds six winter routes and welcomes Xiamen Airlines and beOnd

London Heathrow Airport has announced six additions to its winter 2026/27 route programme, including Virgin…

20 October 2026