Can UK’s ‘jet zero’ hopes take off with a plane fuelled by used cooking oil?

Experts debate whether Tuesday's transatlantic trip heralds a greener way to fly or a misguided stunt

A Virgin Atlantic flight will set off on Tuesday from London Heathrow for New York, a Boeing 787 shorn of paying passengers but with a payload of scientists, aviation leaders, politicians and media, and powered largely by used cooking oil - or as it is now better known, sustainable aviation fuel (SAF).

The UK government and aviation industry hope the transatlantic journey, funded with 1m of taxpayer's money, will demonstrate that greener flying is possible and its 2050 jet zero" aspirations are more than hot air.