Stunning success

Virgin Atlantic has shared headline results from Flight100 - the first transatlantic flight that ran on 100% sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) last year.
These proved that not only did the SAF used for the flight was safe to use with existing infrastructure and delivered material reductions in CO2, but that it could also improve local air quality, contribute to a reduction in persistent contrail formation and reduce fuel use.
Flight100, which flew from London Heathrow to New York JFK on 28 November 2023, was the world’s first commercial aircraft operating across the Atlantic on 100% SAF on a Boeing 787, using Rolls-Royce Trent 1000 engines.
The flight did not require any engine, airframe or fuel infrastructure changes and it operated on safety standards equivalent to every other commercial flight.
Historic occasion
The flight followed more than a year of radical collaboration by a Virgin Atlantic led consortium including Boeing, Rolls-Royce, Imperial College London, University of Sheffield, ICF and Rocky Mountain Institute, and was part funded by Department for Transport and approved by the UK’s Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) and other...