Heathrow has launched a first-of-its-kind breakfast named the ‘Fly Up’, which is cooked with oil that is then cleaned and recycled into renewable biofuels. The Heathrow Fly Up has been created in partnership with chef Heston Blumenthal to create awareness of Sustainable Aviation Fuel (SAF) in response to only 14% of travellers having heard of it, despite the fact it will play a key role in reducing the carbon footprint of the aviation industry. In the UK aviation sector’s latest net zero roadmap, SAF is the single biggest innovation that will help it hit its Net Zero target by 2050.
“We are delighted to partner with Heston Blumenthal’s The Perfectionists’ Café to introduce the ‘Fly Up’, a breakfast that not only gives passengers a delicious start to the day but will raise awareness about SAF and its potential to transform this industry,” said Matt Gorman, Director of Carbon, Heathrow. “By demonstrating how cooking oils can be converted into biofuels, we want people to understand how SAF is a real solution to decarbonise aviation and show how we’re continuing our mission to get to Net Zero by 2050. We know that having the right government policies in place is crucial to making this shift happen. We need a mandate for SAF use, as well as a price support mechanism, to de-risk and incentivise investment in UK SAF facilities.”
Heathrow is committed to decarbonising, and biofuels have a key role to play in its Net Zero plan. On the ground, Heathrow has made the switch to HVO biodiesel with over 95% of its operational diesel fleet now run on the fuel. It has set a goal for 11% of the jet fuel used at Heathrow to be SAF by 2030. Heathrow’s pioneering SAF scheme incentivises the use of SAF at the airport, approximately halving the price gap between conventional jet fuel and SAF, making it more affordable to airlines. Thanks in part to this scheme, approximately 10% of the world’s SAF was used at Heathrow in 2022.
The scheme aims to target 2.5% of all fuel used at Heathrow to be SAF in 2024. If achieved, this will amount to up to 155,000 tonnes of fuel. It is a key part of Heathrow’s ongoing efforts to protect the benefits of aviation while building a more sustainable future for the industry.
“At United, we are committed to our goal of reaching net-zero carbon emissions by 2050 and believe SAF is the nearest term and most promising solution to decarbonise aviation,” said Karolien De Hertogh, Director Sales UK and Ireland, United Airlines. “United became the first airline globally to use a SAF blend in regular operations and we endeavour to increase its availability and usage by looking beyond existing solutions and investing in future potential research, production and technology solutions associated with SAF. We are an airline that recognises the responsibility we have to help solve climate change and welcome Heathrow’s ‘Fly Up’ to raise awareness of SAF.”
