Flight100, led by Virgin Atlantic and experts, validates Sustainable Aviation Fuel (SAF) safety and efficacy, showing notable CO2 reductions without aircraft modifications. Multijurisdictional support underscores potential for widespread SAF adoption, aiding aviation's environmental sustainability efforts.
By Shreya M
Results from the Flight100 project, spearheaded by Virgin Atlantic and involving a group of specialists from Imperial College London, University of Sheffield, Boeing, Rolls-Royce, BP, and other organisations, demonstrate that using Sustainable Aviation Fuel (SAF) with current infrastructure is safe and can result in notable decreases in CO2 emissions.
SAFs are fuels that may be mixed or substituted for fossil fuels. They are made from renewable non-petroleum sources, such as plant materials or leftover cooking fats. SAF can enhance local air quality, help decrease persistent contrail production, and consume less fuel, as demonstrated by the demonstration flight from London Heathrow to New York JFK in November of last year. Importantly, Flight 100 operated under safety standards similar to those of any other commercial flight and didn't require any modifications to the engines, airframe, or fuel infrastructure. A group of Imperial academics concluded work to verify that SAF lowers particulate matter emissions. Imperial and Sheffield experts headed the scientific assessment of the flight's climatic implications.
Multijurisdictional assistance from aviation authorities, including the UK's Civil Aviation Authority (CAA), made the initiative possible.
Lead investigator for the Imperial team on Flight100, Dr Marc Stettler of the Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, stated: "Flight100 was a unique opportunity to learn and demonstrate that SAF can be used in high proportions." We have developed partnerships as a result of the project, which has allowed us to continue advancing science and applying that understanding to operations. It was a true collaborative effort. Flight 100 needs to serve as the catalyst for accelerating SAF adoption and other steps to lessen the climatic impact of aviation.
"The UK government has recently committed to achieving at least 10% SAF in the UK aviation fuel mix by 2030. While this is a promising step, our research suggests that we could also significantly address the effects on contrails by intelligently allocating this fuel to flights that are likely to cause significant warming impacts.
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