Virgin Atlantic has said it will fly one of its Boeing 747s on biofuel during a demonstration flight in February. It will be the first time that a commercial aircraft has run biofuel in-flight and is part of a major initiative among some airlines and Boeing to discover sources of sustainable aircraft fuel for the future.
The Virgin Atlantic 747 will fly from London Heathrow to Amsterdam on a demonstration flight, with no passengers on board, using a sustainable type of biofuel that doesn’t compete with food and fresh water resources. The flight, in conjunction with Boeing and engine maker GE Aviation, is part of Virgin Atlantic’s drive to reduce its environmental impact wherever possible, the company said.
"This breakthrough will help Virgin Atlantic to fly its planes using clean fuel sooner than expected," said Richard Branson, president of Virgin Atlantic.
"The demonstration flight next month will give us crucial knowledge that we can use to dramatically reduce our carbon footprint. Virgin Grouppledged to invest all its profits from its transportation companies towardsdeveloping clean energy and with thisbreakthrough we are well down thepath to achieving our goals."
Virgin Atlantic became the world’s first airline to enable customers to buy their carbon off sets onboard the aircraft during a flight.