Tue, Jul 25, 2023
Trent 1000/Dreamliner Combo Set for Trip Between Heathrow and JFK Next November
Virgin Atlantic and Rolls-Royce have said that everything is looking good for their November 28th SAF flight from JFK to Heathrow.
A series of successful ground tests involving the Rolls-Royce Trent 1000 engine using their 100% SAF blend have proven promising for their planned timelines, which would put the pair on the books as the first flight to use synthetic aviation fuel for an international flight. The plan is to connect the London Heathrow and New York JFK airports with a Boeing 787 Dreamliner, using stock engines. The fuel will be "produced through the Hydroprocessed Esters and Fatty Acids (HEFA) pathway as well as synthetic aromatic kerosene (SAK) SAF at an 88% and 12% blend ratio," according to Virgin. The airline is eager to get on track for its 'Net Zero 2050' plans, hoping to help its domestic UK industry meet or exceed 10% SAF blends by 2030.
“We are incredibly proud that our Trent 1000 engines will power the first ever flight using 100% Sustainable Aviation Fuel across the Atlantic," said Rob Watson, President of Civil Aerospace at Rolls-Royce. "Confirming that we have successfully completed the ground test of the Trent 1000 engine today, using the chosen 100% SAF blend, gives us increased confidence for the engine’s performance and operation ahead of the flight this November. The flight will represent an incredible milestone for the entire aviation industry in its journey towards net zero carbon emissions.”
“The 100% Sustainable Aviation Fuel transatlantic flight will be a historic moment in aviation’s roadmap to decarbonisation," said Shai Weiss, Virgin Atlantic CEO. "Alongside fleet transformation, SAF is the most readily available way for our industry to decarbonise, but currently there’s not enough supply and without it and the radical collaboration required to produce it, we can’t meet our 2030 targets. We need UK government support to create a UK SAF industry to allow for every single flight out of the UK to operate with 100% SAF – if we make it, we can fly it.”
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