EasyJet flights from Gatwick to Glasgow during the COP26 Climate Change Conference will be powered by a 30% Sustainable Aviation Fuel.
The SAF being supplied is produced from 100% renewable and sustainable waste and residue raw materials, such as used cooking oil and animal fat waste.
Of the 42 flights running the Neste SAF blend, 39 of these will be easyJet services from Gatwick to Glasgow throughout conference the which runs from October 31 to November 12.
Across the flights CO2 emissions will have been reduced by up to 70 tonnes, signalling the industry’s intentions to reduce greenhouse gas emissions on a course to reaching net zero emissions by 2050, according to the airport.
The first flight ahead of COP26 was taking off from Gatwick today (Tuesday) as “proof of concept” for the airport in demonstrating a commitment to work with its aviation partners on decarbonisation.
EasyJet sustainability director Jane Ashton said: “We’re pleased to announce that today we’re operating using SAF in a proof of concept flight from Gatwick having also committed to using a SAF blend on all flights operating from Gatwick to Glasgow throughout COP26, thanks to a collaborative effort with our partners involved in this project.
“The availability of SAF still needs to grow but they will be an important interim solution in our decarbonisation pathway, while we are supporting the development of zero-emission aircraft, which will be the most sustainable solution for short-haul networks such as our own in the long term.
“In the meantime, we are operating our flights as efficiently as possible and are currently the only major European airline to offset the carbon emissions from the fuel used for all our flights, which has an impact right now.”
Gatwick corporate affairs, planning and sustainability director Tim Norwood added: “SAF is one of several ways that UK aviation and Gatwick will reach net zero carbon by 2050, alongside carbon offsets, airspace modernisation and continued innovation in aerospace technology, including electric, hydrogen and hybrid aircraft systems.
“With smart government policy to underpin investment in cost competitive UK SAF production, many more flights could be using UK produced SAF by the mid-2020s.”