Airlines Begin Biofuel Passenger Flights

November 10, 2011 — Two U.S. airlines began launching passenger flights powered by biofuel this week, and more are expected to follow suit. The Chicago Tribune reported that Continental Airlines Flight 1403 made history when it landed Monday at O’Hare International Airport, becoming the first revenue passenger trip in the U.S. powered by biofuel. The Boeing 737-800, which had “eco-skies” painted on it, flew from Houston to Chicago and burned a "green jet fuel'' derived partially from genetically modified algae that feeds off plant waste and produces oil. Then on Wednesday, Alaska Airlines began passenger flights along with its sister airline, Horizon Air, using a biofuel blend made from recycled cooking oil. Their Boeing 737-800 flew from Seattle to Washington, D.C., and their Bombardier Q400 flew from Seattle to Portland, Oregon, CNET reported. Both planes were flown as part of a program to fly more than 75 flights on a cooking oil-based biofuel blend within the coming weeks. Alaska Airlines officials said the 20 percent biofuel blend its planes use will reduce carbon dioxide emissions by 10 percent, the Chicago Tribune reported. The 10 percent reduction in carbon dioxide emissions is the equivalent of taking 26 cars off the road for a year, the Wall Street Journal noted. And if the company powered all of its flights with a 20 percent biofuel blend for one year, the annual emissions savings would represent the equivalent of taking 64,000 cars off the road or providing electricity to 28,000 homes, it reported.  “Commercial airplanes are equipped and ready for biofuels,” Alaska Air Group CEO Bill Ayer told the Wall Street Journal. “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. What we need is an adequate, affordable and sustainable supply. To the biofuels industry, we say: If you build it, we will buy it.” United, the parent company of Continental, said it intends to buy 20 million gallons of the algae fuel per year, starting in 2014. The move comes four months after international aviation regulators approved the use of biofuels. In recent weeks, several airlines in Europe have operated biofuel-powered flights. In June, KLM Royal Dutch Airlines became the first airline in the world to operate a commercial flight on biofuels.

O’Hare Baggage handlers unload luggage November 7 from the nation’s first biofueled commercial flight. Photo credit: Chris Walker, Chicago Tribune Alaska Air's Horizon plane (foreground) and an Alaskan Airlines plane (background) both flew inaugural biofuel flights November 8 from Seattle. Photo credit: CNET

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