• Home
  • Latest
  • Fortune 500
  • Finance
  • Tech
  • Leadership
  • Lifestyle
  • Rankings
  • Multimedia

Trendingnow

1

MacKenzie Scott, Melinda French Gates, and Lauren Sánchez Bezos are rewriting the rules of billionaire giving—one quietly, one strategically, one very publicly

2

Summer camps remain a battleground over what it means to be American

3

Current price of oil as of July 13, 2026

1

MacKenzie Scott, Melinda French Gates, and Lauren Sánchez Bezos are rewriting the rules of billionaire giving—one quietly, one strategically, one very publicly

2

Summer camps remain a battleground over what it means to be American

3

Current price of oil as of July 13, 2026
EnvironmentAviation
Europe

Human feces could power your Wizz Air flight within 4 years as world’s first commercial operation planned in the U.K.

Ryan Hogg
By
Ryan Hogg
Ryan Hogg
Europe News Reporter
Down Arrow Button Icon
Ryan Hogg
By
Ryan Hogg
Ryan Hogg
Europe News Reporter
Down Arrow Button Icon
April 12, 2024, 6:47 AM ET
A Wizz Air Airbus A320-232 plane is seen arriving at Eindhoven Airport on November 20, 2020 in Eindhoven, The Netherlands.
A Wizz Air plane arrives at the Netherlands’ Eindhoven Airport, Nov. 20, 2020.Joris Verwijst—BSR Agency/Getty Images
Add Fortune on Google for similar content.

Airline operators are scrambling for new forms of fuel to power their jets without causing harmful carbon emissions. One smelly solution could be the use of human feces.

Recommended Video

Hungarian budget airline Wizz Air has announced plans to run 10% of its flights with sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) by 2030, and it is turning to U.K.-based biofuel company Firefly, which turns sewage sludge into jet fuel, to make it happen.

‘Kind of disgusting’

Speaking to reporters on Thursday, Firefly CEO James Hygate described the biosolids used by the group as “kind of disgusting” but “an amazing resource.”

“It’s crumbly—like compost or wet chocolate cake,” Hygate said, as reported by the Guardian. 

“There’s millions of tonnes of the stuff. And it has no intrinsic value.”

Firefly takes sewage sludge and converts it into two materials: biochar and bio-crude. The latter can be transformed into jet fuel, while the former has agricultural uses.

Wizz Air first announced a £5 million ($6.3 million) equity investment in Firefly last year, as part of its move to reduce its carbon footprint.

Sustainable jet fuel has proved a tough nut to crack, leaving operators in a race to comply with regulators as the EU plots a minimum of 20% of jet fuel to qualify as SAF by 2035, rising to 70% by 2050.

Potential solutions have taken many forms, but there hasn’t yet been a silver bullet. 

Speaking in September, Lufthansa CEO Carsten Spohr said the airline would need to use half the electricity production of its native Germany to survive solely on SAF. 

“I don’t think Mr. Habeck is going to give me that,” Spohr said in reference to German energy minister Robert Habeck. 

A spokesperson for Lufthansa told Fortune at the time that the airline would be able to fly for only two weeks on its current supply of SAF.

Smelly solution

Human waste won’t be the sole solution and is likely to be used alongside other fuels like kerosene. Firefly’s COO Paul Hilditch told ITV News there are enough biosolids in the U.K. to satisfy half of country’s SAF demand by 2030. 

Wizz Air is planning to incorporate the product into its aviation fuel by 2028, the group says.

That will depend on Firefly scaling up operations to a commercial level, which would be a world first for the fuel.

The company will start scaling with a factory in Harwich, Essex, which will serve two U.K. airports.

However, Firefly still needs regulatory approval and funding to make it a full-scale reality.

“Alongside fleet renewal and operational efficiency, sustainable aviation fuel plays a crucial role in reducing carbon emissions from aviation,” said Yvonne Moynihan, corporate and ESG officer at Wizz Air.

“Our investment in Firefly, which has the potential to reduce our lifecycle emissions by 100,000 tonnes CO2-eq per year, underscores our commitment to mainstream the use of SAF in our operations by 2030,” she noted.

Subscribe to Fortune Gulf Brief. Every Tuesday, this new newsletter delivers clear-eyed, authoritative intelligence on the deals, decisions, policies, and power shifts shaping one of the world’s most consequential regions, written for the people who need to act on it. Sign up here.
About the Author
Ryan Hogg
By Ryan HoggEurope News Reporter

Ryan Hogg was a Europe business reporter at Fortune.

See full bioRight Arrow Button Icon
Add Fortune on Google for similar content.

Latest in Environment

Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025

Most Popular

Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Fortune Secondary Logo
Rankings
  • 100 Best Companies
  • Fortune 500
  • Global 500
  • Fortune 500 Europe
  • Most Powerful Women
  • World's Most Admired Companies
  • See All Rankings
  • Lists Calendar
Sections
  • Finance
  • Fortune Crypto
  • Features
  • Leadership
  • Health
  • Commentary
  • Success
  • Retail
  • Mpw
  • Tech
  • Lifestyle
  • CEO Initiative
  • Asia
  • Politics
  • Conferences
  • Europe
  • Newsletters
  • Personal Finance
  • Environment
  • Magazine
  • Education
Customer Support
  • Frequently Asked Questions
  • Customer Service Portal
  • Privacy Policy
  • Terms Of Use
  • Single Issues For Purchase
  • International Print
Commercial Services
  • Advertising
  • Fortune Brand Studio
  • Fortune Analytics
  • Fortune Conferences
  • Business Development
  • Group Subscriptions
About Us
  • About Us
  • Press Center
  • Work At Fortune
  • Terms And Conditions
  • Site Map
  • About Us
  • Press Center
  • Work At Fortune
  • Terms And Conditions
  • Site Map
  • Facebook icon
  • Twitter icon
  • LinkedIn icon
  • Instagram icon
  • Pinterest icon

Latest in Environment

Trump reduces size of two national monuments by 90% in efforts to expand land development
EnvironmentDonald Trump
Trump reduces size of two national monuments by 90% in efforts to expand land development
By The Associated Press, Matthew Brown and Savannah PetersJuly 14, 2026
2 hours ago
kh
PoliticsNew York
New York, a state without nearly any data centers, becomes first to ban their construction
By Anthony Izaguirre and The Associated PressJuly 14, 2026
8 hours ago
utah
EnvironmentData centers
Americans hate AI so much that politicians are starting to lose their jobs over it
By Laura Mullenbach and The ConversationJuly 14, 2026
17 hours ago
ph
North AmericaDEI
Summer camps remain a battleground over what it means to be American
By Seth T. Kannarr, Derek H. Alderman and The ConversationJuly 13, 2026
1 day ago
Trinidad and Tobago signs deals with U.S. companies for data centers, despite history of chronic water shortages and intermittent supply
AIData centers
Trinidad and Tobago signs deals with U.S. companies for data centers, despite history of chronic water shortages and intermittent supply
By Anselm Gibbs and The Associated PressJuly 12, 2026
2 days ago
A row of people sit in a zoning meeting, many looking down or around the room.
EnvironmentData centers
Wyoming officials say Meta’s 715,000-square-foot data center is responsible for contaminating its water system with a rare bacterium
By Sasha RogelbergJuly 10, 2026
4 days ago

Most Popular

MacKenzie Scott, Melinda French Gates, and Lauren Sánchez Bezos are rewriting the rules of billionaire giving—one quietly, one strategically, one very publicly
Newsletters
MacKenzie Scott, Melinda French Gates, and Lauren Sánchez Bezos are rewriting the rules of billionaire giving—one quietly, one strategically, one very publicly
By Sydney LakeJuly 14, 2026
7 hours ago
Summer camps remain a battleground over what it means to be American
North America
Summer camps remain a battleground over what it means to be American
By Seth T. Kannarr, Derek H. Alderman and The ConversationJuly 13, 2026
1 day ago
Current price of oil as of July 13, 2026
Personal Finance
Current price of oil as of July 13, 2026
By Joseph HostetlerJuly 13, 2026
2 days ago
The U.S. spent $30 billion to ditch textbooks for laptops and tablets: The result is the first generation less cognitively capable than their parents
Innovation
The U.S. spent $30 billion to ditch textbooks for laptops and tablets: The result is the first generation less cognitively capable than their parents
By Sasha RogelbergJuly 12, 2026
2 days ago
Current price of silver as of Tuesday, July 14, 2026
Personal Finance
Current price of silver as of Tuesday, July 14, 2026
By Joseph HostetlerJuly 14, 2026
14 hours ago
Current price of gold as of July 13, 2026
Personal Finance
Current price of gold as of July 13, 2026
By Danny BakstJuly 13, 2026
1 day ago

© 2026 Fortune Media IP Limited. All Rights Reserved. Use of this site constitutes acceptance of our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy | CA Notice at Collection and Privacy Notice | Do Not Sell/Share My Personal Information
FORTUNE is a trademark of Fortune Media IP Limited, registered in the U.S. and other countries. FORTUNE may receive compensation for some links to products and services on this website. Offers may be subject to change without notice.