Gulfstream has taken SAF use a huge step forward with the completion of the first USA to UK flight more than a week before Virgin Atlantic plan to do the same
Gulfstream Aerospace Corp. has announced the successful completion of the world’s first trans-Atlantic flight using 100% sustainable aviation fuel (SAF). Accomplished on November 19, the flight took place on a Gulfstream G600 aircraft, which departed the company’s headquarters in Savannah and landed 6 hours, 56 minutes later at Farnborough Airport in England.
Powered by Pratt & Whitney PW815GA engines, both using 100% SAF, this mission showcases the potential for aviation’s future use of renewable fuels, which feature lower carbon, sulfur and aromatics. The data collected from this endurance flight will help Gulfstream and its key suppliers gauge aircraft compatibility with future low-aromatic renewable fuels, particularly under cold temperatures for extended flight durations.
Gulfstream has pipped Virgin Atlantic with the trans-Atlantic crossing: at the beginning of the month Virgin Atlantic was granted approval by the UK Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) to perform a landmark transatlantic service on November 28 using a Boeing 787-9 running on 100% sustainable aviation fuel (SAF)
Current CAA regulations limit the volume of SAF to 40% in commercial airliners. SAF costs around 2.5 times normal aviation fuel.
So today the focus is on Gulfstream. “Gulfstream is innovating for a sustainable future,” said Mark Burns, president, Gulfstream. “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.”
The SAF used on the flight was produced by World Energy and delivered by World Fuel Services. It was comprised of 100% Hydroprocessed Esters and Fatty Acids (neat HEFA), which has at least 70% lower lifecycle CO2 emissions than fossil-based jet fuel, helping to reduce aviation’s impact on climate. Additionally, this zero added aromatics fuel has a reduced impact on local air quality and very low sulfur content, which can reduce non-CO2 environmental impacts.
“Gulfstream continues to break new ground in the sustainable aviation space, and we applaud them for completing this mission as we work to validate the compatibility of our engines with unblended SAF,” said Anthony Rossi, vice president, Sales & Marketing, Pratt & Whitney Canada.
Other key partners supporting this milestone include Honeywell, Safran and Eaton.
“We’d like to thank all our partners for their help in making this milestone flight happen, and for their ongoing partnership in collaborating with the extended SAF community to champion the aviation industry’s path to 100% SAF usage,” said Burns.
Gulfstream was the first business jet original equipment manufacturer to fly on 100% SAF. This flight advances the company’s continuing work to lead the industry’s sustainability efforts.
For more information on Gulfstream’s sustainability journey, visit gulfstream.com/sustainability.
Return to Decarbonisation News Index HERE
