The UK Royal Air Force has recently achieved a Guinness World Record for the successful operation of the world’s first 100% synthetic-fueled flight.

Among the Royal Air Force’s strategies and initiatives to reduce its carbon footprint and promote sustainability are the use of synthetic and sustainable fuels in its aircraft; retrofitting equipment with hydrogen and electric alternatives; developing electric aircraft; minimizing business travel; and reducing single-use plastics.

According to the RAF, «the Net Zero strategy will ensure that the next generation of the Royal Air Force is ready and able to continue to achieve its core mission of delivering operations and protecting our people (…) we must look at how climate change impacts on our people.»

Air Chief Marshal Sir Mike Wigston said, «Climate change is a multi-national challenge that threatens global resilience and our collective security and prosperity. I am determined to tackle upfront and have set the Royal Air Force the ambitious target of being Net-Zero by 2040. The way we power our aircraft will be a big part of achieving that goal, and this exciting project to make jet fuel from air and water shows how it can be achieved.»

Guinness World Record

The RAF is in the process of exploring the use of new fuels to reduce carbon emissions into the atmosphere. Through Project MARTIN, in collaboration with Zero Petroleum, it successfully completed the first flight using 100% synthetic fuel in an Ikarus C42 ultralight aircraft at Cotswold Airport.

As they reported, the UL91 synthetic fuel used «is manufactured by extracting hydrogen from water and carbon from atmospheric carbon dioxide, which is then combined using energy generated from renewable sources. It has the potential to save between 80% and 90% of carbon per flight without compromising aircraft performance.»

Based on this commitment, and after successfully completing the test flight, the team responsible for the MARTIN Project received an award from the Guinness Book of World Records.