Jaunted - Tag: Biofuels

Air New Zealand Sends Its Biofuel Jumbo Jet to the Wreckers

kjb — 2009-06-08T09:17:08-05:00

Usually Air New Zealand is pretty eager to share its wacky promotions and latest news, but this time not so much. Remember when they were all proud about their biofuel test flight? Well, it must not have worked out that well, since they are preparing to send the plane used for it to the scrap yard.

The poor plane headed for an early retirement is a Boeing 747-400 named The Bay of Islands, and has been flying for almost twenty years. After the fancy fuel test last December, the bird sat unused and unloved while looking for a new buyer, but there were unfortunately no takers. In this economy, when it’s hard enough to fill up the average flight with passengers, it’s even harder to fill a jumbo jet.

This 747 started its life flying for Cathay Pacific after being leased from Air New Zealand, but now it will take one last flight towards its final destination. An official resting place hasn't been finalized, as a couple parties are still working out the details regarding who will disassemble it. The dismantling company will sell off all the good parts like the electronic components, and most of the body will be recycled. Too bad, we'll just have to stick to buying carbon offsets for now.

Related Stories:
·First 747-400 Heads For Wrecker [Stuff.co.nz]
·A New Paint Job for Air New Zealand...Body Paint [Jaunted]
·Airline News coverage [Jaunted]

[Photo of Another 747: Eduardo O.]

Tokyo: Camelina Biofuel Will Save the World, JAL Says

amandak — 2009-02-02T09:45:59-05:00

Did you hear that Japan Airlines have just saved the world? That's how they've made their maiden camelina biofuel flight sound. They did a 90-minute test flight out of Tokyo on Friday and Japan Airlines president Haruka Nishimatsu said:

Today is an extremely important day for Japan Airlines, for aviation, and for the environment.

Just a little over the top, but we are pleased to see airlines jumping on the greener flying bandwagon. The test flight used a mix of camelina, a second generation biofuel, and regular jet fuel, and it all happened without any dramas. Keep it up, camelina-lovers.

If an airline begins using biofuel on its flights, will that make you more inclined to pick them over a regular gas guzzler? Let us know in comments below.

Related Stories:
· Japan Airlines Tests World's First Camelina Flight [The Age]
· Japan Airlines Will Fly On Camelina, Whatever That Is [Jaunted]
· Biofuels Coverage [Jaunted]

[Photo: St Stev]

What's That Smell? :: Airlines Begin Testing Biofuel on Flights

JetSetCD — 2009-01-27T10:52:58-05:00

JAL is testing out camelina, Air New Zealand is fiddling with something called Jatropha, and Virgin Atlantic has already shamed us all by completing the first commercial biofuel flight on coconut oil, transatlantic even! In response, the good old US carriers seem to be fiddling their thumbs and ignoring the issue when in actuality, they are behind closed doors and mixing their potions to match.

Earlier this month, Continental managed to quietly complete the USA's first biofuel test flight using a Boeing 737 with a mix of regular jet fuel and biofuel in only one of the two engines. Needless to say, it didn't crash.

Tokyo: Japan Airlines Will Fly On Camelina, Whatever That Is

amandak — 2008-12-18T09:05:42-05:00

Those hi-tech Japanese may not always come across as particularly environmentally friendly but when it comes to alternative fuel for planes, the national carrier JAL is keen to jump on the front of the bandwagon. And after the sketchy beginnings to their biofuel plans--when the energy source was still a secret--there are more details now which warm our greenie hearts.

JAL is now proposing to make a demonstration flight using a blend of biofuel and regular kerosene, and the biofuel's main component will come from camelina. That's a crop often grown in the northern Plains area of the US which fits the green requirements of not competing with regular food crops.

The test flight should take place on January 30 out of Tokyo's Haneda Airport, and it'll be a quickie--just one hour. We think it'd be nice if Japan combined its technological know-how with a bit of green biofuel love, so we say keep it up, JAL.

Related Stories:
· Montana Biodiesel Crop to be Tested on Airliner [CNN]
· JAL Jumps in the Biofuel Queue Too [Jaunted]
· Biofuels coverage [Jaunted]

[Photo: Hyougushi]

Air New Zealand Hearts Jatropha

amandak — 2008-08-29T09:33:18-05:00

We've been hyping up the alternative jatropha biofuel idea recently to help planes fly around a bit greener. So we're mighty pleased to hear that Air New Zealand is on track to make what it says will be the world's first large passenger aircraft test on jatrohpa-sourced fuel sometime before the end of 2008.

The jatropha plant, Air NZ says, is a great source for earth-friendly fuel--it grows with little water and produces an inedible oil, and they've been sourcing their jatropha from sustainable plantations in India and South East Africa. The oil is about to be sent to the engine people at Rolls Royce for final testing.

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. Mightn't be long before we're delayed on the tarmac for re-jatropha-ing.

Related Stories:
· Air New Zealand Bio Fuel Trial on Track for Year-End [Jaunted]
· Alternative Fuel Flying: Is Jatropha Nut Oil the Answer? [Jaunted]
· The Green, Green Skies of New Zealand [Jaunted]

[Photo of jatropha seeds: Laboratorio en Movimiento]

JAL Jumps in the Biofuel Queue Too

amandak — 2008-06-30T09:15:08-05:00

Air New Zealand's trying it with jatropha, and Virgin Atlantic thought that coconut oil would do the trick. Now it's time for Japan Airlines to give biofuel flying a whirl.

Japan Airlines, aka JAL, is planning a biofuel demonstration flight before the end of March 2009 in a 747; they won't say which Japanese airport they'll fly from yet, but expect the flight to take an hour and to be the first biofuel test flight in Asia.

The other thing JAL won't say is what biofuel they'll use--because apparently they haven't decided yet. They are sure it'll be a second-generation biofuel (that means one that doesn't compete with food crops) so Richard Branson's coconuts are out. We'll have to wait a few months and see what those clever Japanese scientists come up with.

Related Stories:
· Japan Airlines to Make Biofuel Test Flight [Treehugger]
· Richard Branson Flies Around on Coconuts [Jaunted]
· The Green, Green Skies of New Zealand [Jaunted]

[Photo: St Stev]

The Green, Green Skies of New Zealand

amandak — 2008-06-09T09:30:01-05:00

Air New Zealand is getting so green it's gonna blend right in with the trees soon. Enabling domestic passengers to buy carbon credits is old news now, and that program's been extended to international guests now, too. The surcharge you pay gets directed into projects like the Tararua wind farm on New Zealand's north island.

Beyond carbon credits, Air NZ has been carefully optimizing things like speed and weight with the goal of reducing their carbon emissions by 100,000 tons in five years--and they're doing so well they're ahead of schedule.

And now they plan to become the first airline in the world to test a biofuel made from the nut of an Indian plant, called jatropha. They'll test it later this year and already plan to be using it on 50 percent of domestic flights by 2013. Soon the carrier will have to paint all their aircraft green.

Related Stories:
· Air NZ Extends Carbon Offset Program [Business Traveller]
· Air New Zealand Turns Green [Jaunted]
· Carbon Offsets coverage [Jaunted]

[Photo: PhillipC]