KLM may offer commercial biofuel flights in 2011

Dutch airline KLM, part of Franco-Dutch Air France-KLM has expressed its desire to offer commercial Biofuel flights from 2011.
KLM spokeswoman said the proposed Biofuel flights are not a pipe dream: "We have proven it is possible."
Last year, the airline operated a 1.5 hour Boeing 747 flight over the Netherlands, with one engine running on a mixture of 50 percent sustainable biofuel and 50 percent traditional kerosene. The other three engines on the history making flight ran on 100 percent kerosene.
The spokeswoman said the launch date for commercial biofuel flights would depend on developments in the industry, such as suppliers and certification.
The spokeswomen said she did not know to what degree commercial flights would use biofuels but said that test flights had taken place where all four engines used 100 percent biofuels.
KLM chief executive Peter Hartman said the biofuel used on the flight reduced CO2 emissions by up to 80 percent compared to conventional kerosene.
Aircraft account for an estimated 2-4 percent of global carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions.