Virgin Atlantic gets funds for net zero transatlantic flight in 2023

In the UK, the University of Sheffield said that UK airline Virgin Atlantic will receive UK government funding for the first ever net zero transatlantic flight from London Heathrow to New York’s John Kennedy Airport in 2023. The University of Sheffield noted that the entity is part of the British consortium leading the project, which also includes Rolls-Royce, Boeing, Imperial College London, Rocky Mountain Institute (RMI) and ICF. The University of Sheffield’s Energy Institute will be working with OEMs (original equipment manufacturers), the aviation industry and operational partners to ensure the scientific integrity of the data used in the project, and to demonstrate the leading role and reputation of UK academia as a global knowledge center for research that advances net zero aviation. The University of Sheffield’s Sustainable Aviation Fuels Innovation Centre (SAF-IC)  will undertake the pre-screening of SAF at its SAF characterization lab. SAF-IC will test, validate and certify new SAF, providing the UK with testing capabilities to facilitate ASTM approvals and bring SAF fuels to the market. Mohamed Pourkashanian, Head of the University of Sheffield Energy Institute, said: “We are delighted to be working on this prestigious and timely project to deliver the first transatlantic net-zero flight. Through this partnership of world-leading aviation experts from industrial and academic backgrounds, we’re going to help make sustainable aviation fuels a reality for long-haul flights,” he said.

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