AIR France-KLM sent into the air Tuesday, May 18, 2021, what the company called its first long-haul flight powered by sustainable aviation fuel — petroleum mixed with a synthetic jet fuel derived from waste cooking oils.
The fuel used for the Paris-to-Montreal flight is part of efforts by the industry worldwide to experiment with alternative sources as regulators and governments tighten emissions rules for the coming decades.
Other airlines and plane-makers are also experimenting with using varying levels of biofuels or different kinds of sustainable fuel.
The passenger jet took off with sustainable fuel making up 16 percent of its supply for the journey. Air France-KLM announced its initiative by the tarmac at Charles de Gaulle Airport in Paris.
France’s transport minister Jean-Baptiste Djebbari called it a proof that “there is another way. We show that the biggest part of the solution lies in technological innovation.”
Air France-KLM is aiming to make five percent of its fuel sustainable by 2030. / AP