Sustainable biofuels

There are many experiments and trials in progress. This section looks at those tests and reports on their outputs.

Carrier	Aircraft	Partners	Date	Biofuel	Blend
	B747-400	Boeing, GE Aviation	23 Feb 08	Coconut & Babassu	20% one engine
	B747-400	Boeing, Rolls-Royce	30 Dec 08	Jatropha	50% one engine
	B737-800	Boeing, GE Aviation, CFM, Honeywell	7 Jan 09	Algae with Jatropha	50% one engine
	B747-300	Boeing, Pratt&Whitney, Honeywell	30 Jan 09	Camelina, Jatropha and Algae blend	50% one engine
	A340-600	TBA	12 Oct 2009	Alternative Fuel (Gas to Liquid)	50% all 4 engines
	B747	GE, Honeywell	23 Nov 2009	Camelina	50% one engine
	A320-200	Airbus, IAE, Honeywell	By spring 2010	Sustainable feedstocks	TBA
	A320	CFM,  SAFRAN,  EADS,  Honeywell, Airbus	2010	Salicornia (Halophyte)	First half 2011
	E-Jet	Embraer, Amyris	2010	Sugarcane	TBA

Air New Zealand flight on Jatropha, 30 December 2008

This test flight was performed in Auckland, New Zealand on a Boeing 747-400 with one engine running on a 50% mix of biofuel.

• Media release from ATAG: Biofuel flight a step towards carbon neutral growth
• Media release from Air New Zealand: Air New Zealand Test Flight Proves Viability of Biofuel
• Live blog of the test flight: Information before the flight and video about the biofuel being used
• Live blog of the test flight: Update #1: Information on the biofuel being used - Jatropha
• Live blog of the test flight: Update #2: Details from the pre-flight briefing
• Live blog of the test flight: Update #3: Flight takes-off in Auckland
• Live blog of the test flight: Update #4: De-brief on how the test of biofuels went, video of the flight and media articles

For more information on this biofuel test flight, check out the Air New Zealand flight web page.

Continental Airlines flight on Algae and Jatropha, 7 January 2009

This test flight performed better than expected, with the fuel having the same performance as normal jet fuel, but the pilots reporting that less of the fuel was used, meaning it is potentially more powerful than normal jet fuel.

• Media release from ATAG: Demonstrating the power of algae to fuel aviation
• Media release from Continental Airlines: Flight demonstrates use of sustainable biofuel as energy source for jet travel
• Live blog of the event: The flight takes off, we look at the fuel being used
• Live blog of the event: Update #1: The aircraft has been in the air for an hour, we look at the tests being performed
• Live blog of the event: Update #2: The aircraft lands and we take a look at the flight path
• Live blog of the event: Update #3: The results and media reports

Latest information: Japan Airlines flight on Camelina, Jatropha and Algae, 30 January 2009

This test flight went as well as expected, according to the pilots, with the biofuel mix in engine #3 behaving in exactly the same way as the pure jet fuel in the other three engines.

• Media release from ATAG: Working together key to aviation's green future
• Media release from Japan Airlines: JAL flight brings aviation one step closer to biofuels
• Live blog updates and more information: Japan Airlines camelina-powered flight (as well as several updates)

 
Find out more about the efficiencies gained by improving operations »

With the current explosion of interest in sustainable aviation biofuels, the Geneva-based Air Transport Action Group has developed a Beginner’s Guide to Aviation Biofuels, looking at the opportunities and challenges as the industry moves towards this new source of fuel.

• Download The Beginner’s Guide to Aviation Biofuels
• Download the reference version of The Beginner’s Guide to Aviation Biofuels
• Download the key points card

The Beginner’s Guide to Aviation Biofuels was produced with the assistance of: Airbus, Airports Council International, Boeing, Bombardier, CFM International, Civil Air Navigation Services Organisation, GE Aviation, Honeywell, International Air Transport Association, Pratt & Whitney and Rolls-Royce.