Virgin Atlantic plans to send one of its Boeing 747s on a test flight from London Heathrow to Amsterdam using a biofuel blend later this month. While military planes have taken test flights on synthetic fuels, this will mark the first flight of a commercial airliner using a biofuel blend.
The fuel to be used for the test flight will have a 20% biofuel content alongside an 80% ratio of traditional jet fuel.
It is hoped by Sir Richard Branson, founder of Virgin Atlantic, that a successful flight will lead to accelerated development of biofuels for aviation in an effort to combat soaring jet fuel prices, while leaving a reduced carbon footprint on the planet.
"This breakthrough will help Virgin Atlantic fly its planes using clean fuel sooner than expected," Branson said in a statement. "The demonstration flight will give us crucial knowledge that we can use to dramatically reduce our carbon footprint."