It follows the successful transatlantic crossing by a Gulfstream G600 business jet using the same fuel last week.
SAF is key toward reducing those emissions, but it is costly and accounts for less than 0.1% of total global jet fuel in use today.
The fuel used to power Tuesday's flight is mostly made from used cooking oil and waste animal fat mixed with a small amount of synthetic aromatic kerosene made from waste corn, Virgin Atlantic said.
Yet the 2030 target looks challenging given SAF's small volumes and its high cost, right now about three to five times as much as regular jet fuel.
Virgin said the engines on the flight would be drained of SAF and tested before it returns to service using regular fuel.
Persons:
Virgin, Richard Branson, Shai Weiss, Mark Harper, John F, Magdalena Heuwieser, Sarah Young, Joanna Plucinska, Tomasz Janowski
Organizations:
Virgin Atlantic, Virgin Boeing, Royce, Trent, Gulfstream G600, London Heathrow, Kennedy International Airport, Virgin, SAF, Boeing, BP, Aviation, British Airways, Air France, Union, Thomson
Locations:
London, New York, Dubai