Gulfstream Aerospace became the first to complete a transatlantic flight using 100% sustainable aviation fuel (SAF).
Gulfstream completed the flight Nov. 19 on a Gulfstream G600 aircraft powered by Pratt & Whitney Canada PW815GA engines, Gulfstream and Pratt & Whitney announced.
Virgin Atlantic plans to perform the first commercial transatlantic flight using 100% SAF on Nov. 28, following a permit in early November by the UK Civil Authority. The flight will be conducted on a Boeing 787 operating from London Heathrow Airport to JFK in New York.
The Gulfstream flight left the company’s headquarters in Savannah, Georgia, and flew for 6 hr., 56 min., before landing at Farnborough Airport in England. Data collected on the flight will be used to gauge aircraft compatibility with future low-aromatic renewable fuels and help advance the industry toward net-zero goals. The SAF, produced by World Energy, was comprised of 100% hydroprocessed esters and fatty acids.
“Gulfstream is innovating for a sustainable future,” says Mark Burns, Gulfstream president. “One of the keys to reaching business aviation’s long-term decarbonization goals is the broad use of SAF in place of fossil-based jet fuel. The completion of this world-class flight helps to advance business aviation’s overarching sustainability mission and create positive environmental impacts for future generations.”
