'Breakthrough' as RAF completes first UK flight using 100% sustainable fuel

The Royal Air Force (RAF) has successfully piloted the UK's archetypal formation utilizing 100% sustainable substance successful a "breakthrough moment" for aviation.

The RAF Voyager - the subject equivalent of an Airbus A330 - has taken to the skies implicit Oxfordshire utilizing waste-based fuels, including utilized cooking oil.

Sustainable aviation fuels, known arsenic SAFs, person the imaginable to trim c emissions by up to 80%, according to the RAF.

It is hoped their usage volition propel the RAF closer to its nett zero people by 2040, portion reducing its reliance connected planetary proviso chains.

As good arsenic being a UK first, the voyage was besides the archetypal successful the satellite to usage afloat sustainable substance for a subject craft of its size.

Defence curate Baroness Goldie described it arsenic "a breakthrough moment" for the RAF.

She said: "Through the RAF's pioneering spirit, expertise and concern with UK industry, British subject and engineering is starring the mode successful improving operational resilience and processing aboriginal operating capableness successful a climate-changed world.

"They should beryllium rightly arrogant of this accomplishment - it is simply a breakthrough infinitesimal for the RAF and an breathtaking improvement for the Ministry of Defence (MoD)."

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Flight lieutenant Nick Dehnel, from the RAF, worked with Carlos M San Millan and Pedro Martin, some from Airbus, to technologist the feat.

It followed the world's archetypal palmy formation of a tiny craft powered by synthetic fuel, which completed a 90-minute travel from RAF Brize Norton past November.

Synthetic substance is made from h2o and c dioxide, which is enactment nether unit and has an electrical existent tally done it.

Air Chief Marshal Sir Mike Wigston described this formation arsenic different "important milestone" en way to becoming the world's archetypal nett zero aerial unit by 2040.

Aviation curate astatine the Department for Transport (DfT), Baroness Vere, said the occurrence of the trial flights were a "win for the satellite and a testament to British ingenuity".

She added the DfT had launched a £165m money aimed astatine boosting the sustainable substance manufacture connected its travel towards the archetypal nett zero transatlantic formation adjacent year.