Test flights on green fuel by global airlines

With global aviation bodies like International Air Transport Association pressing for reduction of carbon emissions in the sector, some major airlines have carried out test flights using biofuel and alternative fuel, which are cleaner.

Though the civil aviation sector accounts for only two per cent of the global carbon emission, the industry has conducted sufficient research on the usage of alternative fuels, from the prospective of both environment and cost.

Qatar Airways, Virgin Atlantic, Continental Airlines, Air New Zealand and Japan Airlines are some of the global carriers which have carried out experiments to fly their aircraft using a blend of alternative fuel and aviation turbine fuel.

Qatar Airways CEO Albar Al Baker recently told PTI that his country was set to become the primary supplier of a new and cleaner jet fuel that powers an aircraft by a refined form of natural gas.

The airline, he said, was also planning to use the Gas- to-Liquid (GTL) fuel in many of its planes over the next few years. GTL, a 50-50 blend of gas and conventional oil-based kerosene fuel, was successfully tested last month on a Airbus A 340-600 aircraft, which flew from London Gatwick to Doha using Rolls Royce Trent engines.

"Qatar's position as the GTL capital of the world has been enhanced with this achievement. GTL technology enables us to produce liquid fuels and other products from natural gas in our bid to achieve carbon-neutral growth," he said.