RAF flight powered by cooking oil in 'breakthrough moment'

The 90-minute flight over Oxfordshire was also the first time a military aircraft of such size has used a fully sustainable fuel

A flight powered by cooking oil has taken place in the UK for the first time.

The RAF Voyager, the military equivalent of an Airbus A330, took off and landed from RAF Brize Norton in Oxfordshire on Wednesday.

The Royal Air Force (RAF) hopes sustainable aviation fuels will help it reach net-zero by 2040 and reduce its reliance on global supply chains.

Defence minister Baroness Goldie said it was "a breakthrough moment".

The 90-minute flight over Oxfordshire was also the first time a military aircraft of such size has used a fully sustainable fuel, which was supplied by Air BP.

It was flown by a combined RAF, Rolls-Royce, and Airbus flight test crew, and replicated an air-to-air refuelling sortie during its trip.

The RAF said waste-based fuels could reduce carbon emissions by up to 80%.

The voyage showed the potential for the fuel's "future operational capability, ensuring the ability to contribute to UK defence wherever and whenever required", it added.

Test pilot Jesus Ruiz said he had been a "small part" in a "huge step for sustainable aviation".

Baroness Goldie said: "They should be rightly proud of this achievement - it is a breakthrough moment for the RAF and an exciting development for the Ministry of Defence."

She said the RAF's "pioneering spirit" showed that British science and engineering was "leading the way" in a "climate-changed world".

The RAF Voyager took off and landed from RAF Brize Norton

Air Chief Marshal Sir Mike Wigston said: "The way we power our aircraft will be key to meeting [the net-zero] challenge and the RAF is already thinking about how we will operate beyond fossil fuels."

He described the flight as an "important milestone" and "another technological first for the RAF alongside our industry partners".

Carrie Harris, director of sustainability at British Airways, which provided one of the test pilots, said the trial was a "step closer towards fuelling commercial flights" in such a way.

Baroness Vere, aviation minister at the Department for Transport (DfT), called it a "win for the planet and a testament to British ingenuity".

She added that the DfT had launched a £165m fund to boost the sustainable fuel industry towards the first net-zero transatlantic flight next year.

Louise Donaghey, services programmes director at Rolls-Royce, told the BBC the company was aiming to have all its Trent aircraft engines capable of using sustainable fuels by the end of 2023.

The RAF said waste-based fuels could reduce carbon emissions by up to 80%