A Virgin Atlantic ad promoting a UK government-sponsored first-ever transatlantic flight by a commercial airline powered only by sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) has been ruled as “misleading” by UK ad regulator the Advertising Standards Authority (ASA) for its description of using “100% sustainable aviation fuel,” despite using identical terminology to the government’s own description of the landmark flight.

The ad referred to Virgin Atlantic’s “Flight 100” in late November 2023, conducted by Virgin Atlantic as part of a consortium that included Rolls Royce, Boeing, University of Sheffield, Imperial College London, ICF and Rocky Mountain Institute, and supported by funding by the UK Government’s Department for Transport (DfT). The flight followed a pledge made in 2022 by the UK government to deliver the first-ever net-zero emissions transatlantic flight, powered by 100% sustainable aviation fuel by the end of 2023.

The flight originated in London’s Heathrow Airport, and landed at JFK Airport, and was powered by SAF consisting of fuels made from waste fats, oils, and greases and synthetic aromatic kerosene (SAK), derived from plant sugars.

The ASA ruling followed a complaint from five complainants regarding a radio ad by Virgin Atlantic prior to the flight, that argued that the claim “100% sustainable aviation fuel” would create “a misleading impression” by implying that the fuel had no negative impact on the environment.

The ASA noted that Virgin Atlantic defended the use of the term “100% sustainable aviation fuel,” noting that the “sustainable aviation fuel,” which refers to the type of fuel used, is a common industry term “used universally by governments, regulators, industry bodies, fuel companies, the International Civil Aviation Organisation (ICAO), airlines, academia, aircraft and engine manufacturers and mainstream media,” and citing surveys conducted by the airline indicating that most people “understood that the claim related to the proportion of sustainable aviation fuel used.”

Virgin Atlantic also noted that the term was the same as that used by the DfT in its competition invitation for participants in the flight.

Notably, a government press release following the flight continued to use the “100% sustainable aviation fuel” terminology, stating:

“Transport Secretary takes to the sky in world’s first 100% sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) transatlantic flight by a commercial airline, made possible by up to £1 million of UK government funding.”

In its ruling, however, the ASA upheld the complaint that the ad’s claim was misleading, breaching codes relating to misleading advertising and environmental claims, and directing the airline to ensure that future ads referring to the use of SAF include “qualifying information which explained the environmental impact of the fuel.”

In a statement provided to ESG Today following the ruling, a Virgin Atlantic spokesperson said that the airline was “disappointed that the ASA has ruled in favour of a small number of complaints,” and noted that “SAF is a term used globally by industry and Government for fossil-alternative aviation fuels that adhere to specific sustainability criteria. The radio advert for Flight100 used SAF, and other factually accurate wording, to share that the flight would be operated as a single, non-commercial flight using 100% SAF.”

The spokesperson added:

“We’re committed to achieving net zero by 2050 and key to this will be using Sustainable Aviation Fuel (SAF), which is one of the most immediate levers to decarbonising long haul aviation. Flight100 proved that SAF is a safe, 100% drop-in replacement for fossil fuel and while 100% adoption across every flight may be decades away, we demonstrated the radical collaboration required to drive increased production, supply and uptake in the UK.”