Thomson announce biofuel flight plan
02.07.11
Thomson Airways is to become the first British airline to operate a flight using a blend of conventional and biofuel. Its flight from Birmingham to Palma on July 28 will use the new fuel, subject to final safety clearance. The flight will operate using a 50:50 blend of A1 jet fuel and a biofuel processed from waste cooking oil supplied by Dutch firm SkyNRG. Weekly flights using the fuel will then commence from September, initially covering the Birmingham - Palma route before switching to Birmingham - Alicante flights later in the year.
Thomson managing director Chris Browne said the flight this month would represent the first step in a wider biofuels strategy for the airline. He said: ‘As sustainable biofuels become more commercially viable, Thomson Airways plans to expand their use across our fleet over the next three years.'
KLM operated the world's first scheduled passenger flight earlier this week using the same biofuel blend Thomson Airways plans to use, flying 171 passengers between Amsterdam and Paris on one of its standard Boeing 737-800 jets. The Dutch airline is also planning to operate regular flights along the route using the fuel from September.
Thomson is calling on the Government to develop a system that allows more use of sustainable fuel, saying this will help politicians meet the recently announced carbon budget committing the UK to reduce carbon emissions by 50% by 2025. The airline says the airline industry cannot support the current prices of biofuels over regular jet fuel and has called on the Government to incentivise airlines to use it.
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