BA Flies High on Sustainable Fuel

British Airways announces flights in 2022 will make use of sustainable fuel produced in the UK

British Airways is to be the first airline in the world to use sustainable fuel produced in the UK, the aviation giant has confirmed, following a multi-year deal with the diversified energy company Philips 66.

Sustainable Aviation Fuel, or SAF, produced at the Philips 66 Humber Refinery in North Lincolnshire in England, will be used by an unconfirmed number of the airline’s flights in early 2022.  The fuel is produced from sustainable waste sources and is believed to be able to reduce lifecycle C02 emissions by over 80% compared to traditional jet fuel.

“This agreement marks another important step on our journey to net zero carbon emissions and forms part of our commitment, as part of International Airlines Group, to power 10% of flights with SAF by 2030, explained Sean Doyle, British Airways’ Chairman and Chief Executive.

“The development of sustainable aviation fuel is a major focus for us and forms part of our commitment to achieving net zero carbon emissions by 2050,” added Doyle.

BA’s parent company, International Airlines Group (IAG), has stated it will invest $400 million over the next 20 years into the development of SAF. British Airways has existing partnerships with a number of technology and fuel companies to develop SAF plants and purchase the fuel.

Darren Cunningham, the Lead Executive for Phillips 66 in the UK, said the announcement reflects the growing importance of scaling up production of Sustainable Aviation Fuel for both aviation and energy industries.

“The Humber Refinery was the first in the UK to co-process waste oils to produce renewable fuels, and now we will be the first to produce SAF at scale,” said Cunnigham. “And we are delighted British Airways is our first UK customer.”