Etihad Airways operates first biofuels flight in the Gulf region
27.01.2012
Etihad Airways has this week become the latest airline to trial a flight using biofuels.
The 14-hour delivery flight of the airline's newest Boeing 777-300ER from Seattle to Abu Dhabi landed on 24 January and was, according to Etihad, the first in the Gulf to be operated with sustainable biofuel.
Amsterdam-based sustainable jet fuel provider, SkyNRG, supplied the fuel, which combined traditional jet fuel with recycled vegetable cooking oil.
“This flight marks a significant milestone in our efforts to support and drive the commercialisation of sustainable aviation fuel in Abu Dhabi, the region, and globally,” said James Hogan, Etihad Airways’ president and chief executive officer.
“However, the use of a presently available biofuel is just one part of a more comprehensive long-term biofuel strategy to ensure that we are able to use biofuels to decarbonise substantially an entire industry sector in the long term.”
“We think the Middle East has great potential to give a critical boost towards making a market for sustainable jet fuel that is affordable,” said Dirk Kronemeijer, SkyNRG’s managing director. “With this flight Etihad Airways has taken a fantastic step, particularly in increasing awareness within the region. There is a lot more to come in this continent and we are determined to be there when that happens.”
Etihad Airways, as a member of the global Sustainable Aviation Fuel Users Group, has committed to a stringent set of sustainability principles when looking at opportunities for biofuel development and use. This includes ensuring that feedstock is non-competitive with food sources and does not jeopardise drinking water supplies.