Commercial Aviation Biofuel Flight Developments

There have been some major recent developments in the field of aviation biofuels, designed to lower the impact of air travel on the atmospheric build-up of greenhouse gases, including carbon dioxide.

At the end of October 2011, Chinese carrier Air China carried out the country's first ever commercial biofuel flight. The flight, which involved a biofuel/standard jet fuel blend, was performed by a Boeing 747-400 which operated from Beijing Capital International Airport.

The biofuel element was sourced from locally-sourced jatropha, which was mixed into the jet fuel by China National Aviation Fuel and, as a result of the flight's success, Air China and Boeing are now working towards a flight between the US and China, using the same blend.

"Through our collaborative efforts with China we have found an incredible partner and place where national capability, innovation and technology come together in a remarkable way", Marc Allen - the President of Boeing China, said in a company statement. "This historic flight illustrates exactly how bilateral collaboration can help address environmental challenges, and we commend the Chinese for their leadership in helping to develop sustainable aviation solutions."

First Chinese Biofuel Flight

While this was the first Chinese biofuel flight, China has been an active biofuel producer for some years. According to news agency Xinhua, by 2020, the country's set to have biofuel production plantations in place that cover a total area of 13 million hectares. From these will be developed a staggering six million tons of biodiesel every 12 months.

In related news, the largest carrier in the world, United Airlines, is today preparing to launch what has been described as the first ever "advanced biofuel"-based commercial flight in the United States, using a biofuel/jet fuel blend mixed to a 40/60 per cent ratio by Solazyme Inc.

Aviation Biofuel First

On 9 November, there'll be yet another aviation biofuel flight first, with Alaska Airlines launching a 75-flight test programme. Boeing aircraft will feature in both instances.

Alaska Airlines has claimed that its fuel, which is mixed to a 20/80 per cent bio/standard blend, has the potential to produce carbon savings equivalent to the removal of almost 64,000 cars off the global highways if used across its flight network for 12 months.

"This is a historic week for US aviation", the Chairman of Alaska Air Group stated. "Commercial airplanes are equipped and ready for biofuels. They will enable us to fly cleaner, foster job growth in a new industry, and can insulate airlines from the volatile price swings of conventional fuel to help make air travel more economical."

China Airlines biofuel flight image copyright Boeing

See also:

Air France Biofuel Flight is Greenest Ever