UAE national carrier Etihad Airways said it had operated its first biofuel-powered flight, the Boeing 777-300ER, from Seattle to Abu Dhabi.

The 14 hour delivery flight of the airline’s newest and most efficient long haul aircraft was operated using a combination of traditional jet fuel and plant-based jet fuel, which is fully certified for use as commercial jet fuel, said Etihad.

The delivery flight of the Boeing 777-300ER that arrived on January 24 was the first in the Gulf region to be operated using sustainable biofuel, said the Abu Dhabi carrier in a statement.

“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," remarked James Hogan, the Etihad Airways’ president and CEO.

“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,” he stated.
 
SkyNRG, an Amsterdam-based sustainable jet fuel provider, supplied the fuel, which is based on recycled vegetable cooking oil, said the statement from Etihad.

As a plant-based source that has been used already for cooking purposes, it qualifies as a bio-based waste stream with a high sustainability value, it stated.
 
Dirk Kronemeijer, SkyNRG’s managing director, said: "We think the Middle East has great potential to give a critical boost towards making a market for sustainable jet fuel that is affordable."

"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," he added. 

Boeing also supported this initiative by supplying their ‘fly-away’ fuel, provided for every new delivery, as a biofuel blend, the statement added.-TradeArabia News Service