Virgin Atlantic just made headlines with what they hailed as a groundbreaking journey: flying a passenger jet from London to New York powered entirely by sustainable aviation fuel (SAF)! 🌍🌱 But not everyone is on board with the hype.
On Tuesday, the airline's jet took off without regular passengers but carried big names like Virgin's billionaire founder Richard Branson, CEO Shai Weiss, and Britain's Transport Minister Mark Harper. Their mission? To showcase the potential of low-carbon options in aviation and pave the way for a greener future. 🌟
However, Cait Hewitt, Policy Director at the Aviation Environment Federation, isn't convinced. She called the flight a \"gimmick, not a game changer.\" 🧐 Speaking to CGTN Europe before takeoff, Hewitt said, \"It remains the case that 99.9% of aviation fuel is kerosene. This flight isn't going to change that fact.\"
Hewitt pointed out that while alternative fuels exist, scaling them up sustainably is a massive challenge. \"It's using fuel made out of waste that is very clearly not going to be possible to scale up sustainably in the future,\" she added. \"We need to have a bit more honesty in this debate.\" 💬
So, is this eco-friendly flight a step towards transforming the skies, or just a high-flying PR move? ✈️📰 The debate highlights the complexities of shifting an entire industry towards sustainability and the need for realistic solutions that go beyond one-off events.
Reference(s):
'It's a gimmick, not a game changer' – Virgin's SAF flight questioned
cgtn.com
