United Airlines will start using jet fuel generated from animal poo and fat this summer in a bid to reduce greenhouse gases.
The change will be the first time a domestic airline has used an alternative jet fuel to power a regular passenger flight.
The first flight to be fuelled by the farm waste and oils derived from animal fats will take off from Los Angeles and land in San Francisco. United Airlines will then make four to five flights a day between the cities.
And, apparently, passengers shouldn’t be able to notice anything different during their flights.
United Airlines recently announced a $30 million investment in Fulcrum BioEnergy, one of the leading producers of alternative fuels.
In a statement, Brett Hart, United Airlines’ executive vice president and general counsel, said:
We know alternative fuels is an emerging industry that is vital to the future of aviation and this is just one of our initiatives to help make these fuels saleable and scalable. Investing in alternative fuels is not only good for the environment, it’s a smart move for our company as biofuels have the potential to hedge against future oil price volatility and carbon regulations.
Given that aircrafts currently contribute significantly to climate change, environmentalists everywhere will be happy to see one airline trying to effect a change.
