BUSINESS NEWS


Virgin Atlantic operated the


first commercial transatlantic flight using only SAF this week


Environmental observers question benefits of SAF


Campaigners speak out as Virgin praised for transatlantic ‘first’. Ian Taylor reports


Virgin Atlantic’s operation of a flight from Heathrow to New York using 100% ‘sustainable aviation fuel’ (SAF) on Tuesday drew congratulations from across the industry and government. But environmental campaigners


were less impressed, including those who work in industry advisory roles. Cait Hewitt, policy director of the


Aviation Environment Federation (AEF) which sits on the advisory board of the Sustainable Aviation coalition, questioned whether the fuel powering the Virgin Atlantic flight


80 30 NOVEMBER 2023


should even be termed ‘sustainable’. She said: “Even 100% SAF will


reduce emissions by zero per cent. Any savings are net. The aviation industry and government are big on claims for SAF, but official studies are more conservative and scientists are sceptical. The hype isn’t matched by official forecasts. “We’ve allowed the industry to


have us refer to everything other than kerosene as SAF and that is problematic. We should ask of every alternative fuel, is this sustainable?” Hewitt argued the excitement


around the 100% SAF flight “risks hushing up the scale of the challenge of decarbonising aviation” and suggested the focus on SAF means “all other options get pushed to the back of people’s minds”. “The industry would be better


looking at producing fuels from atmospheric carbon,” she said. “The industry implies the only challenge is that someone needs to produce this fuel. But it can’t be scaled up.”


Continued on page 78 travelweekly.co.uk


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