The Jet Zero council has acquired £3 million of Government funding for zero emission flight infrastructure as the UK pioneers the “first ever” net zero carbon freighter flights.

The UK Transport Secretary today (Wednesday 30 June 2021) made two announcements, including the launch of the first round of the Zero Emission Flight Infrastructure competition. For the competition, the Government will award businesses and universities around the UK up to £50,000 each to pioneer critical research into infrastructure, such as charge points and hydrogen fuelling tanks, that will enable the mass uptake of electric and hydrogen aircraft.

Part of the Prime Minister’s Ten Point Plan, the £3 million fund will ramp up the move towards sustainable flying to support aviation reach net zero by 2050.

This follows on from news that members of the Jet Zero Council, British Airways, this week carried out the world’s first net zero carbon freighter flights powered by a mix of sustainably sourced waste such as cooking oil. This is set to be the first of many flights with BA ordering 1.2 million litres of the fuel.

Offering emissions savings of more than 80 per cent compared to conventional jet fuel, the government claims that this marks a “milestone moment putting UK aviation at the forefront of global decarbonisation efforts and forging the pathway to sustainable commercial flying in the future”.

UK Transport Secretary Grant Shapps said: “As the first major economy to commit to net zero by 2050, we’ve gone further than any country in the world to slash our aviation emissions – providing leadership, funding and the framework needed to lead the charge.

“Now is the time for organisations and companies to take advantage of the opportunities we have provided to harness the economic and environmental benefits building back better and greener has to offer.”

This comes as the Jet Zero Council meet for the third time today setting out plans to put UK aviation “at the heart of the UK’s pandemic recovery”.