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Future of flight takes to the skies
One of Virgin Atlantic’s Boeing 787s has crossed the Atlantic on a world-first flight from London Heathrow to JFK International Airport, New York solely powered by sustainable aviation fuel (SAF), marking a significant milestone in air travel decarbonisation.
The Transport Secretary, Mark Harper, travelled on the 28 November flight alongside Virgin Atlantic Chief Executive Shai Weiss and Virgin’s founder, Sir Richard Branson, making it the first commercial airline to fly across the pond without the use of any fossil-based jet fuel.
“Today’s historic flight shows how we can both decarbonise transport and enable passengers to keep flying when and where they want,” said Mr Harper.
“This government has backed today’s flight to take-off, and we will continue to support the UK’s emerging SAF industry as it creates jobs, grows the economy and gets us to Jet Zero.
“The world will always assume something can’t be done, until you do it,” added Sir Richard Branson. “The spirit of innovation is getting out there and trying to prove that we can do things better for everyone’s benefit.
“Virgin Atlantic has been challenging the status quo and pushing the aviation industry to never settle and do better since 1984.
“I couldn’t be prouder to be on board Flight100 today alongside the teams at Virgin Atlantic and our partners, which have been working together to set the flight path for the decarbonisation of long-haul aviation.”
The government announced the second round of the Advanced Fuel Fund on 17 November, which saw nine projects receive £53 million to help scale up SAF production in the UK and help “lead the charge for making SAF more readily available”.
SAF has a greenhouse gas emissions reduction of around 70% when compared against standard jet fuel over its life cycle – allowing greener travel and keeping the UK connected to the world. 
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Published On: 07/12/2023 12:30:00
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In Brief
InPost delivers exciting new partnership with Newcastle United FC
This new agreement between the two growing organisations is the first of its kind for InPost’s UK operation, which has over 6,000 out-of-home delivery options across the country.
This number is set to increase with the introduction of bespoke InPost parcel lockers at St James’ Park – the first in the country at a Premier League Stadium – where supporters will be able to pick up their club goodies from lockers located within the ground.
Honouring the iconic black and white of Newcastle United, the specially designed parcel lockers will be located outside the Gallowgate End, offering customers a city centre location, with InPost also having a number of collection points around Newcastle and the wider Tyneside area.
“Exceptional performance is something that both InPost and Newcastle United always aspire to and this will be a key theme as we bring this partnership to life,” said RafaÅ‚ Brzoska, InPost Group founder and CEO.
“The international reach and popularity of the club will also help InPost break new ground and we look forward to sharing the journey with one of the most passionate fanbases in the world.”
This is the latest sporting partnership for InPost Group, following its announcement as Official Partner of Tour de France in October 2023 and the Polish Football Association (PZPN) in 2022.
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