Air New Zealand Bio Fuel Trial on Track for Year-End
Air New Zealand has big green goals: it wants to be the most environmentally sustainable airline in the world, and has set an objective of using a million barrels of environmentally sustainable fuel per year by 2013.
Earlier this year they became the first airline in the world to test a biofuel made from the nut of an Indian plant, called jatropha. Air New Zealand General Manager Airline Operations Captain David Morgan said "We are on track to meet our goal of operating the world’s first test flight on a large passenger aircraft using fuel sourced from jatropha in the last quarter of this year."
Jatropha is a plant that grows to approximately three metres high, has high water efficiency, and produces seed that contain inedible lipid oil that is used to produce fuel. Each seed produces between 30 and 40 percent of its mass in oil. Jatropha can be grown in a range of difficult conditions, including arid and non-arable areas. Air New Zealand has been sourcing their jatropha from sustainable plantations in India and South East Africa.
Beyond these efforts, the carrier has a range of green initiatives underway throughout its business: more efficient flight planning and tracking, continuous descent profiles, more effective use of engine power in all phases of flight and greater use of electric power when aircraft are parked at the airport. Their stated goal is the reduction of their carbon emissions by 100,000 tons in five years--and they're doing so well they're ahead of schedule.