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4/15/12

Alternative Energy: Qantas makes first commercial biofuel flight

Australia’s Qantas Friday launched the nation’s first commercial flight using a mixture of refined cooking oil, saying it would not survive if it relied solely on traditional jet fuel.

The Airbus A330 left Sydney for Adelaide using a 50-50 blend derived from recycled cooking oil and regular jet fuel in what the airline hopes will be the first step towards a sustainable aviation fuel industry in Australia.

Qantas said the biofuel, which has been certified for use in commercial aviation, has a “life cycle” carbon footprint about 60 percent smaller than that of conventional jet fuel.

“We need to get ready for a future that is not based on traditional jet fuel or frankly we don’t have a future,” Qantas chief executive Alan Joyce said.

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