The first British Airways flight back to the US after 18 months today was being powered by a 35% blend of sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) made from used cooking oil.
It is believed to be the first commercial transatlantic flight to be operated with such a level of the fuel blended with traditional jet fuel.
The Airbus A350 left for New York in a synchronised take-off with Virgin Atlantic.
The airline’s long-haul A350 aircraft are claimed to be up to 40% more efficient than the Boeing 747-400 jumbo jets that used to fly between London and New York before being retired last year.
The flight’s overall CO2 emissions were more than 50% less than those emitted by the 747s due to the combination of modern aircraft efficiency with the blend of SAF
BA also offset all emissions associated with the flight to demonstrate the various ways in which the airline is decarbonising its operations.
Parent company International Airlines Group recently committed to operating 10% of its flights using SAF by 2030.
BA is restarting start direct services to 17 US destinations with the lifting of travel restrictions after more than 600 days for fully vaccinated travellers from the UK and other nations.
The airline is set to extend its services to 23 US airports this winter, with up to 246 flights a week, more than any other transatlantic carrier.
Flights to New York will increase from five to eight a day in December.
There will also be double-daily services to Boston, Chicago, Los Angeles, San Francisco, Washington, Dallas, Miami and Toronto, as well as daily services to Philadelphia, Phoenix, Seattle, Atlanta, Denver, Houston and Vancouver.
BA chief executive Sean Doyle, who is travelling on the New York flight, said: “Today is about celebrating the UK-US reopening of the transatlantic corridor after more than 600 days of separation, and it was fantastic to be able to mark this by synchronising the take-off of British Airways and Virgin Atlantic flights for the first time ever.
“While flying is vital to connect the world and support the UK’s economic recovery from the pandemic, it’s important for us to use this moment to demonstrate how we’re driving our decarbonisation plans forward, and what the future will look like for aviation.
“That’s why we’ve directly powered our first flight to the US today with sustainable aviation fuel and offset emissions on behalf of our customers. We’re looking forward to the government’s continued support to ensure the development and mass production of sustainable aviation fuel continues at pace.”