British Airways (BA) teamed up with NATS, Heathrow and Glasgow airports, Airbus and bp to demonstrate how the airline industry is moving towards what is calls “The Perfect Flight.”

The airline has replicated a service flown 11 years ago, to show how new technology and more efficient operations are helping aviation decarbonise.

On Tuesday 14 September BA1476, from Heathrow to Glasgow departing 10:36 and arriving 11:28 became the airline’s first ever passenger flight to be powered directly by sustainable aviation fuel (SAF), with the remaining emissions produced by the flight offset.

The short Airbus 320neo sector, with a special liveried sustainability aircraft painted in partnership with Airbus, replicated a flight BA operated to Edinburgh in 2010. At the time, neither offsetting nor SAF were available to reduce the flight’s impact on the environment, and the journey was operated on an older aircraft carrying fewer passengers.  

The aim of the flight was to show how far the aviation industry has progressed in its efforts to decarbonise over the last decade. Thanks to advances in engines, aerodynamics, cabin and flight operations, A320neos burn 20% less fuel, which means 20% less CO2, and are 50% quieter compared to its predecessor.

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