Heathrow Airport, in collaboration with Heston Blumenthal’s Perfectionists’ Café, has launched an innovative breakfast named “The Fly Up” to raise awareness about Sustainable Aviation Fuel (SAF).
This breakfast, prepared using recycled oil transformed into renewable biofuels, aims to educate travellers on SAF’s crucial role in reducing the aviation industry’s carbon footprint.
The Heathrow Fly Up initiative, developed alongside chef Heston Blumenthal, seeks to shed light on Sustainable Aviation Fuel (SAF) due to low awareness levels among travellers—only 14 per cent are familiar with it—despite its pivotal role in mitigating the aviation sector’s carbon emissions. SAF stands as the foremost innovation outlined in the UK aviation sector’s latest net-zero roadmap, set to aid in achieving the industry’s Net Zero target by 2050.
Heathrow remains steadfast in its commitment to decarbonisation, with biofuels playing a significant role in its Net Zero strategy. On-site, Heathrow has transitioned to HVO biodiesel, powering over 95 per cent of its operational diesel fleet. Leading globally in SAF implementation, Heathrow aims for SAF to constitute 11 per cent of its jet fuel usage by 2030. The airport’s pioneering Sustainable Aviation Fuel scheme incentivises SAF adoption, significantly narrowing the price gap between conventional jet fuel and SAF, thereby making it a more viable option for airlines. As a result of this initiative, approximately 10 per cent of the world’s SAF was utilised at Heathrow in 2022.
The initiative targets 2.5% of all fuel used at Heathrow to be SAF by 2024, potentially amounting to 155,000 tonnes of fuel. This endeavour aligns with Heathrow’s ongoing commitment to balancing aviation benefits with sustainability.
To achieve Net Zero by 2050, Heathrow aims to reduce airborne carbon by up to 15 per cent and ground-based carbon at the airport by at least 45 per cent by the decade’s end. These targets have received validation from the Science Based Targets initiative, signifying alignment with a 1.5-degree carbon reduction trajectory.
SAF, boasting a significantly lower carbon footprint than traditional jet fuel, is derived from various sources, including used cooking oils. It can be seamlessly integrated into aircraft engines alongside conventional fuel, with projections suggesting it could contribute to around 40 per cent of the aviation industry’s carbon reductions by 2050.
Heathrow collaborates with waste management service Quatra to collect, cleanse, and recycle used cooking oils from the Fly Up breakfast. Following treatment and purification processes, these oils are transformed into biofuels, including Sustainable Aviation Fuel (SAF) and Hydrotreated Vegetable Oil (HVO).
In conjunction with the launch of Fly Up, recent research highlights a lack of awareness among UK citizens regarding SAF’s potential to enhance aviation sustainability. Heathrow actively encourages passengers to participate in carbon emission reduction efforts through its collaboration with climate tech company, CHOOOSE. The platform allows passengers to support SAF or certified reforestation projects, irrespective of their airline or destination.
Matt Gorman, Director of Carbon at Heathrow, expressed delight in partnering with The Perfectionists’ Café to introduce Fly Up, emphasising its role in raising awareness of SAF and its transformative potential. He stressed the necessity of supportive government policies to facilitate SAF adoption, urging for mandates and price support mechanisms to incentivise investment in UK SAF facilities.
Carlos Santos, Head Chef at The Perfectionists’ Café, echoed excitement over the partnership, highlighting Fly Up’s use of premium British ingredients and its significance in fostering a sustainable future for air travel.
Karolien De Hertogh, Director Sales U.K. and Ireland at United Airlines, reiterated the airline’s commitment to achieving net-zero carbon emissions by 2050 and underscored the importance of SAF in this endeavour. United Airlines actively supports SAF usage and invests in future research and technology solutions to enhance sustainability.
Heathrow’s journey towards net zero is well underway, with concrete plans to achieve ambitious carbon reduction goals by 2030. Collaborative efforts with airlines and innovative initiatives like Fly Up underscore the airport’s commitment to sustainable aviation. Travellers keen to learn more about SAF and support Heathrow’s efforts in fostering a domestic UK SAF industry can visit www.heathrow.com/SAF.