Virgin Atlantic developing "world-first" low-carbon fuel by Cheap Flights Booker UK

Virgin Atlantic is in the process of developing a low-carbon aviation fuel that it claims is a world first.

In partnership with LanzaTech, the airline is working on a method of powering its planes using waste gases from industrial steel production, which are captured, fermented and chemically converted into jet fuel.

Announcing the project, Virgin claimed that the new power source will have a carbon footprint half the size of its standard fossil fuel counterparts.

The technology is currently being piloted in New Zealand and the company plans to begin using the low-carbon fuel on flights from Shanghai and Delhi to London Heathrow within three years.

Dr Jennifer Holmgren, chief executive of LanzaTech, said the innovation will allow airlines to "dramatically reduce" their carbon footprint.

She added: "While there is still work to be done and logistical hurdles to cross, we have excellent partners in Virgin Atlantic, Swedish Biofuels and Boeing and we are confident that we will have a facility with the capacity to produce fuel for commercial use by 2014."

Virgin Atlantic has pledged to achieve a carbon reduction of 30% per passenger kilometre by 2020.


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