The UK Government has awarded five companies a share of £165m to create sustainable aviation fuels and slash carbon emissions by 200,000 tonnes a year.

Three of the companies, in Teesside, Immingham and Ellesmere Port, plan to turn everyday household and commercial waste, such as black bin bags, into jet fuel.

Transport Secretary Mark Harper said the projects would make ‘guilt-free flying a reality’.

“It’s exactly this kind of innovation that will help us create thousands of green jobs across the country and slash our carbon emissions,” he added.

Announcement of the additional funding follows news last week that Virgin Atlantic will operate the first net zero transatlantic flight from London Heathrow to New York JFK next year.