747 Makes First Biofuel Flight
For the first time in commercial aviation, a Virgin Atlantic 747 jumbo jet flew between London and Amsterdam using fuel derived from a mixture of Brazilian babassu nuts and coconuts.
Virgin's Boeing 747 had one of its four engines connected to an independent biofuel tank that it said could provide 20% of the engine's power.
The three other engines were capable of powering the plane on conventional fuel had there been a problem.
Virgin boss Sir Richard Branson said the flight marked a "vital breakthrough" for the entire airline industry.
"This pioneering flight will enable those of us who are serious about reducing our carbon emissions to go on developing the fuels of the future," he said.
Despite the rhetoric from Branson, environmentalists have branded the flight a publicity stunt and claim biofuel cultivation is not sustainable. Kenneth Richter, of Friends of the Earth, said the flight was a "gimmick", distracting from real solutions to climate change.
"If you look at the latest scientific research it clearly shows biofuels do very little to reduce emissions," he said.
"At the same time we are very concerned about the impact of the large-scale increase in biofuel production on the environment and food prices worldwide.
"What we need to do is stop this mad expansion of aviation. At the moment it is the fastest growing source of greenhouse gases in the UK, and we need to stop subsidising the industry."
Greenpeace's chief scientist, Dr Doug Parr, labelled the flight a "high-altitude greenwash" and said less air travel was the only answer.