Virgin Atlantic Uses 'Sustainable' Fuel on US Flight
Virgin Atlantic has used a "sustainable aviation fuel," or SAF, for the first time on a large passenger jet flying from the UK to the US.
SAF can be made from many different materials, including oil, algae, wood, manure and plants grown for making fuel.
The Virgin plane, a Boeing 787, used biofuel made from waste from US corn production, the BBC said.
Virgin Atlantic CEO Shai Weiss said the flight showed that SAF can be used instead of fossil fuels to reduce airlines' carbon emissions.
The UK government, which supports the use of SAF, praised Virgin's "world-first flight."
"Today's historic flight - powered by 100% sustainable aviation fuel - shows how we can both decarbonize transport and enable passengers to keep flying when and where they want," Transport Secretary Mark Harper said.
However, experts say it will be difficult to find enough waste materials to make SAF for all airlines.
Guy Gratton of Cranfield University told the BBC that airlines should use SAF as "a stepping stone" toward other new fuels, such as hydrogen — or e-fuels, which are made by combining hydrogen with captured carbon.
Weiss, Harper and Virgin founder Richard Branson all traveled on the flight from London to New York.
Branson admitted to the BBC that it will "take a while" to make large amounts of SAF.
"But you have to start somewhere," he said.
"And if we didn't prove it can be done, you would never, ever get sustainable aviation fuel."
But environmental groups question whether SAF is as good as airlines say it is.
The Aviation Environment Federation (AEF), which works to reduce the environmental impact of aviation, said SAF produces as much carbon as fossil fuels.
Cait Hewitt of the AEF said the Virgin Atlantic flight is "more of a gimmick than a game changer."
"If we want to cut emissions today, the best way to do that is to fly less," Hewitt told the BBC.
