(CHICAGO)
Airlines are increasingly incorporating biofuels into their power mix in a bid to reduce their carbon emissions.
A long-distance Hainan Airlines flight this week, from Beijing to Chicago O’Hare Airport, is the latest to have used a percentage of biofuels.
“Climate change has become a common challenge facing the entire world, while green and low-carbon development solutions have become an inevitable necessity when it comes to any research and development being undertaken today. Responding to the call by the Chinese government to build and become fully engaged in a culture that is environmentally and ecologically aware, Hainan Airlines has partnered with Green Aviation Initiatives & Networks (GAIN) to continuously explore energy-saving and emission reduction technologies such as biofuel flight, with the mission of becoming a pioneer in this important field, the development of which is critical to the future of the great planet we live on,” said Sun Jianfeng, Hainan Airlines President.
The environmental advantages of biofuels have been backed up by a NASA study, and major players from across the aviation industry are getting on board with harnessing them.
This month Qantas Airlines penned a ‘farm to flight’ deal to supply Australian farmers with an oilseed crop from Canada, which is used to make renewable jet fuel. Air Canada announced is another that is incorporating biofuels – made from used cooking oils – on selected flights between Montreal and Toronto. While Cathay Pacific and KLM are making investments in biofuels.
Brisbane Airport is also going to supply airlines with biofuels from 2018.
