Virgin - Biofuel Trials

The first commercial aircraft to be powered by biofuel will fly next year in what could be a significant step towards airlines reducing their oil consumption and carbon dioxide emissions.

Virgin Atlantic is to announce today that one of its 747 jumbo jets will be used to demonstrate that biofuels can power an aircraft. The project, which includes Boeing and General Electric, the engine-maker, hopes to have the “green” jumbo airborne in 2008.

The airline and its partners are testing up to eight biofuels to determine which is most effective at altitude. Ethanol, which is becoming an increasingly popular alternative to petrol in cars, has been rejected because it does not burn well in thin-oxygen environments.

Virgin hopes that biofuel-powered aircraft could be operating commercially within five years, which could help to cut significantly the airline industry’s carbon dioxide emissions.