Biofuel trial flight set for 747

Read more about: air travel, biofuel, emissions, flights

The 747 flight is one part of a deal signed by the airline, engine producer Rolls-Royce and aircraft manufacturer Boeing to research “greener” flying. One of the four engines will run on a mixture of kerosene and a biofuel, and is set for late 2008 or early 2009.

But Virgin Atlantic is planning to beat Air New Zealand to the punch by having its own biofuel flight early next year.

Air New Zealand’s chief executive Rob Fyfe said that advances in technology had made biofuels a viable possibility for use in aviation sooner than anticipated.

The New Zealand government recently declared the objective of becoming carbon neutral, and climate change and energy minister David Parker said the national airline’s initiative would help achieve that goal.

“I’m delighted that Air New Zealand has taken the lead by signing up for the first commercial trial of a biofuelled… aircraft,” he said.

The partnership gave no details of the type of biofuel to be used, but said that the test flight will not carry passengers.

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