Air New Zealand Tests Biofuelled Flight

Posted January 6, 2009 by Jaklien van Melick

You might not have noticed it but fighting global warming is still hot. The credit crunch has pretty much taken over the news these days, but airlines are still under pressure to fly green. After Virgin Atlantic, Air New Zealand has now also successfully tested a flight using biofuel.

I didn’t expect anything less from the national carrier of the Land of the Long White Cloud. I mean Kiwi equals clean and green. At least in my eyes. So on 30 December, NZ filled one of the engines of a Boeing 747-40 with a mix of traditional Jet A1 fuel and jathropa oil. Say what? Yes, jathropa oil. I admit that I looked it up in Wikipedia, so here goes: ‘Jatropha oil is vegetable oil produced from the seeds of the Jatropha curcas, a plant that can grow in marginal lands and common lands. Jatropha curcas grows almost anywhere, even on gravelly, sandy and saline soils. It can also thrive on the poorest stony soil and grow in the crevices of rocks.’

Hmm, a plane that flies on plant oil? What's next, olive oil? Anyway, the test was successful so I was wondering whether this will be the end of taking the train instead the plane? Well, apparently this is only the first step towards operating green flights and there are still plenty of tests to be done before they can actually start to produce the green fuel. This means that it will probably take another 30 years. Maybe even more.

I guess that means we still have to ease our guilty conscience and buy carbon offsets for a little bit longer.

(Photo: EQ.tv)

Categories: Travel News