First Long Flight Powered by Biofuels is Successful

A coalition of companies came together to carry out the first long-haul flight powered by a renewable fuel called Sustainable Aviation Fuel. Air France Flight 342 took off from Paris and headed to Montreal with its tanks full of the renewable aviation fuel produced in French manufacturing plants. Renewable Energy Magazine says the flight is a tangible result of four groups that came together to decarbonize transportation and to develop a new supply chain for the fuel. The biofuel used for this flight was made from waste and residue sourced from the French economy.

A company called Total produced the biofuel from used cooking oil at a biorefinery and a factory in France without using any virgin plant-based oil. The 16 percent blend of biofuels on this flight lessened the CO2 emissions by 20 tons. Air France-KLM is known as a pioneer for testing sustainable aviation fuels.

In addition to this flight, French company Airbus is conducting several series of tests to certify that airliners can fly with 100 percent Sustainable Aviation Fuel.

Benjamin Smith, CEO of Air France-KLM, said, “For many years, the Air France-KLM Group has been committed to reducing our environmental footprint. Supporting the emergence of an economically viable French aviation biofuel sector is a priority for our group and the country.”

If you have a story idea for the PNW Ag Network, call (509) 547-1618, or e-mail gvaagen@cherrycreekmedia.com