The UK needs to significantly ramp-up production of Sustainable Aviation Fuels if it stands a chance of hitting its targets to reduce aviation emissions, says the chief executive of Virgin Atlantic.
Shai Weiss believes failure to address aviation’s role in the climate crisis could risk the future of the sector altogether. Iata airlines have committed to achieving Net Zero carbon emissions by 2050.
Speaking to Travel Weekly, the Virgin boss said: “There’s no debate that aviation needs to do many, many things to get to Net Zero by 2050. It is one of the seven hard to abate industries, and I would argue one of the most complex of those seven.
Weiss noted that “for long-haul, the technology [to fly without emissions] doesn’t exist” and stressed the importance of having “as clean a fleet as possible” in the meantime – pointing out Virgin has “spent billions making sure of that.”
Virgin Atlantic placed a $4.1 billion order for 14 A330-900neos in July 2019, with an additional six as options. The aircraft are 13% more fuel efficient than the A330-300 they replace, which Virgin said would mean its fleet’s fuel efficiency will improve by 32% over a ten year period from 2014 to 2024.
The airline aims to have Sustainable Aviation Fuels account for 10% of its fuel by 2030. Weiss said “the technology is there” to increase use of SAFs, but flagged: “In the UK, there isn’t one plant that produces Sustainable Aviation Fuels”.
And while a recently-announced biorefinery in Cheshire is set to supply SAFs accounting for 10% of fuel at Manchester airport within five years of becoming operational, Weiss pointed out: “We need to increase use by a factor of 800, so work must start here, now.”
He said this could only be done through partnerships between the aviation sector, governments and financiers, noting that any solutions are “pretty complicated”.
Speaking ahead of Virgin Atlantic’s historic dual take-off with British Airways as the carriers celebrated the reopening of the US to fully-vaccinated UK tourists, he said the two companies may work together again on sustainability issues.
“Tackling global warming is bigger than any airline,” he said, vowing to share any findings Virgin or its partners make in breakthrough technologies. “It’s not about hogging advances when it comes to climate change. It’s about getting it contained.
“If we don’t do it, it’s a risk to the whole aviation industry.”