Richard Branson's Virgin Atlantic will start trialing a new plan aimed at cutting aviation emissions by towing aircraft to take-off areas at London airports this month, the airline said on December 3.

Some aircraft will be towed closer to the runway before takeoff at Heathrow and Gatwick airports in an effort to cut fuel burn by reducing the time engines are running before takeoff to about 10 minutes.

"Towing aircraft from a stand substantially reduces the amount of time they need to taxi with their engines running and reduces the time spent queuing before takeoff," a Virgin spokesman said in a statement.

Trials will take place at Heathrow and Gatwick using Boeing 747-400 planes, with a longer trial expected in the first quarter of next year.

The airports' operator BAA, which is owned by Spain's Ferrovial, and British air traffic control authorities were working with Virgin on the trial.

Virgin was also talking to airports in San Francisco, Los Angeles and New York on similar trials.

Billionaire Branson, who owns half the airline (the other half being owned by Singapore Airlines), said earlier this year he would spend all the profits from his airline and rail businesses to combat global warming.