Red Arrows to fly debut aerobatic display on sustainable aviation fuel at Royal International Air Tattoo
- 9th Jul 2025
This year’s Royal International Air Tattoo is set to feature a world-first as organisers reveal the Royal Air Force’s iconic Red Arrows will be displaying on Sustainable Aviation Fuel (SAF).
The update comes with less than two weeks to go until this year’s event, where over 170,000 people are expected at RAF Fairford for the aviation showcase which is due to take place on Friday 18th, Saturday 19th and Sunday 20th July.
The Red Arrows’ performances across the weekend will be history-making for any national aerobatic team – using not only SAF for jet propulsion but also a renewable biofuel, known as Hydrotreated Vegetable Oil (HVO), to produce its distinctive trademark vapour trails.
Joining the Red Arrows on SAF will be the RAF’s Typhoon display, which also completed its first routine on SAF at last year’s show in another world-first.
Kate McKinley, Director of People and Sustainability at Royal Air Force Charitable Trust Enterprises, said: “We are thrilled to have the Red Arrows performing on sustainable fuel at this year’s Royal International Air Tattoo.
“Their nine-ship team are known across the world, so we are delighted to be hosting this landmark display here at RAF Fairford.
“In 2024 we were lucky enough to secure the RAF Typhoon’s first public display on SAF and being able to continue the Typhoon for another year and add the Red Arrows is great for us as an event.”
The Red Arrows will be performing three times on the fuel, as well as featuring in various special formation flypasts across the weekend event.
The display comes after the team first publicly flew on the fuel last month as part of the celebrations for HM King Charles’ official birthday, in the skies above London.
However, the displays at the Royal International Air Tattoo will be the first ever aerobatic performances by the Red Arrows using both SAF and HVO.
Squadron Leader Andy King, the Red Arrows’ Senior Engineering Officer and who led the pioneering fuels project, said: “At the heart of the Royal International Air Tattoo is a mission to inspire future generations of aviators – a goal shared by the Red Arrows.
“This makes this year’s Air Tattoo an ideal occasion to showcase the Red Arrows’ ground-breaking, world-leading move to more sustainable fuels – powering a display that has the same thrilling, entertaining and exciting aerobatics and teamwork that has captivated millions of enthusiasts at the show across the decades.”
The flights have been made possible by Air Space Intelligence, Intel Foundry and Team Lewis, with HVO and fuel being supplied by Power Electrics and AFS Aviation respectively.
