The Virgin Atlantic plane powered partly from bio-fuel made its first flight on February 24. The plane, powered by bio-fuel made from coconuts, flew from London’s Heathrow airport to Amsterdam’s Schipol airport.
The Virgin Atlantic 747 plane was flown using one engine fuelled by a mixture of Brazilian babassu nuts and coconuts and was branded a "vital breakthrough" by Richard Branson, who said that an algae mix is more likely to be used in commercial flights. "This pioneering flight will enable those of us who are serious about reducing our carbon emissions to go on developing the fuels of the future."
While the flight was a breakthrough using the technology, not all were thrilled with it. NGOs are calling the flight a gimmick, saying that biofuels really do little to reduce greenhouse gas emissions.