Virgin Atlantic said it had "secured" a deal with Delta Air Lines to buy 10 million US gallons of sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) a year for seven years.
The agreement with Delta Air Lines means "a further step", Virgin said, in meeting a 10% SAF commitment by 2030. A fifth of the fuel needed to meet the target of 10% is to come from the arrangement with Delta.
The fuel is to be produced by Gevo and supplied via Delta, which has a "long-term" partnership with the producer. Virgin said Gevo uses inedible industrial corn to make the fuel, separating sugars and proteins in a "climate smart" process that sees the proteins fed to livestock and the sugars converted to fuel.
The use of SAF is part of an ambitious industry drive to achieve 'net zero' emissions by the middle of the century. According to Virgin, SAF "represents less than 0.1% of jet fuel".
The airlines's Pam Fletcher said "we’re excited about this joint partnership with Virgin Atlantic and Gevo that brings further commitment to SAF for the benefit of customers, our industry and the planet.”