SINGAPORE, 21 September 2021: Last week, British Airways BA1476 from London Heathrow to Glasgow Airport became the airline’s first-ever passenger flight powered directly by sustainable aviation fuel (SAF), with the remaining emissions produced by the flight offset.
The short journey on the airline’s new special liveried sustainability aircraft painted in partnership with Airbus showed how far the aviation industry has progressed in its efforts to decarbonise over the last decade and how far they have to go.
The flight was operated by an Airbus A320neo, which burned 20% less fuel and was directly powered by sustainable aviation fuel, provided by BP, blended at 35% with traditional jet fuel in accordance with technical aviation specifications.
British Airways has committed to achieving net-zero carbon emissions by 2050 through a series of short, medium and long-term initiatives
The 2021 demonstrator flight reduced CO2 emissions by 62% compared to the original so-called “Perfect Flight” more than a decade ago
The Perfect Flight combines innovations including continuous climb and descent, sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) and electric ground operations vehicles
British Airways chairman and CEO Sean Doyle described the flight as a glimpse of the future:
“This flight offered a practical demonstration of the progress we’re making in our carbon reduction journey. By working together with our industry partners, we’ve delivered a 62% improvement in emissions reductions compared to a decade ago.
“As one of the UK’s largest airport groups, we are committed to achieving net-zero by mid-2030s. This involves decarbonising our own infrastructure, including the roll-out of fixed electrical ground power (FEGP), which is powered using 100% renewable energy sources.”
British Airways’ parent company International Airlines Group recently committed to operating 10% of its flights using SAF by 2030.
