The flight took place on a Gulfstream G600 aircraft powered by Pratt & Whitney PW815GA engines, departing from Savannah, the aircraft landed at Farnborough Airport in England after 6 hours and 56 minutes.
Gulfstream Aerospace Corp. has achieved a historic milestone by completing the world’s first trans-Atlantic flight using 100% sustainable aviation fuel (SAF). The flight took place on a Gulfstream G600 aircraft powered by Pratt & Whitney PW815GA engines. Departing from Savannah, the aircraft landed at Farnborough Airport in England after 6 hours and 56 minutes. Gulfstream’s G600, equipped with Pratt & Whitney PW815GA engines, completed the first trans-Atlantic flight using 100% SAF. This marks a significant milestone in advancing the use of renewable fuels in aviation.
The use of SAF, produced by World Energy and delivered by World Fuel Services, is a crucial step in reducing aviation’s environmental impact. SAF has lower carbon, sulfur, and aromatics compared to traditional fossil-based jet fuel. The mission aimed to collect data on aircraft compatibility with low-aromatic renewable fuels, especially under cold temperatures during extended flight durations. The information gathered will aid Gulfstream and its partners in further advancing sustainable aviation.
“Gulfstream is innovating for a sustainable future,” said Mark Burns, president, Gulfstream. “One of the keys to reaching business aviation’s long-term decarbonization goals is the broad use of SAF in place of fossil-based jet fuel. The completion of this world-class flight helps to advance business aviation’s overarching sustainability mission and create positive environmental impacts for future generations. We’d like to thank all our partners for their help in making this milestone flight happen, and for their ongoing partnership in collaborating with the extended SAF community to champion the aviation industry’s path to 100% SAF usage,” he further added.
The SAF used in the flight was 100% Hydroprocessed Esters and Fatty Acids (neat HEFA). This type of SAF has at least 70% lower lifecycle CO2 emissions than fossil-based jet fuel, contributing to a reduction in aviation’s climate impact. The use of zero-added aromatics SAF has additional benefits, including a reduced impact on local air quality and very low sulfur content, contributing to lower non-CO2 environmental impacts.
“Gulfstream continues to break new ground in the sustainable aviation space, and we applaud them for completing this mission as we work to validate the compatibility of our engines with unblended SAF,” said Anthony Rossi, vice president, Sales & Marketing, Pratt & Whitney Canada.
Gulfstream has also acknowledged the collaborative effort of its partners, including Pratt & Whitney, Honeywell, Safran, and Eaton, in achieving this milestone. The industry’s move toward 100% SAF usage is a shared goal among these companies. Gulfstream has been at the forefront of sustainability efforts in business aviation. This flight follows Gulfstream’s earlier achievement of being the first business jet original equipment manufacturer to fly on 100% SAF.
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Gulfstream’s completion of the world’s first trans-Atlantic flight using 100% sustainable aviation fuel demonstrates the company’s commitment to sustainability and innovation. This historic achievement contributes to the aviation industry’s efforts to reduce its environmental impact and marks a significant step toward the broader use of renewable fuels in aviation.
