Traveling the Green Way

Air New Zealand took one step closer towards carbon neutral growth today.  One of its aircraft took off, powered in part by a second-generation biofuel.

The Boeing 747-400 test flight will investigate how the new fuel, made from the Jatropha plant, stands up to use at the high altitudes and extreme operating conditions.

The two-hour flight is another in a series of trials taking place at airlines around the world.  These flights are testing different types of biofuel to determine the viability of using the sustainable alternative to the fossil fuel-based Jet-A1 fuel used by commercial aviation.

Paul Steele, the executive director of the Air Transport Action Group (ATAG), a representative of aviation industry organisations, said that the flight was a significant step towards the industry vision of carbon neutral growth.

Says Steele:  “Earlier this year, the leaders of the aviation industry gathered in Geneva to sign a Declaration on Climate Change, committing the industry to a pathway towards carbon neutral growth.”

“The efforts taking place in New Zealand today and other projects across the aviation sector are designed to make progress towards that goal, providing the aviation industry with a reduced-carbon form of energy and allowing the sustainable future of air transport which is a key generator of economic growth.”

A growing aviation sector produces two percent of the world’s carbon dioxide emissions. Through technology and operational performance improvements, the sector is reducing the growth in carbon emissions to approximately half the rate of the growth in passengers.

For more information, visit the website www.enviro.aero , a resource centre on aviation’s environmental impact.

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