Virgin Atlantic plans move to low-carbon aviation fuel

Sir Richard Branson has promised to introduce a new “green” aviation fuel on Virgin Atlantic planes within two to three years.

The Virgin boss announced the development with LanzaTech, a New Zealand-based company specialising in low-carbon fuel. The new technology involves waste gases from industrial steel production being captured, fermented and chemically converted via Swedish Biofuels techniques for use as a jet fuel.

The revolutionary fuel production process recycles waste gases that would otherwise be burnt into the atmosphere as carbon dioxide.

Virgin said that within two to three years it was planning flights with the new fuel on its routes from Shanghai and Delhi to Heathrow, as LanzaTech and partners develop facilities in China and India.