Etihad operates first biofuel-powered aircraft

Etihad Airways said on Wednesday it became the first Gulf carrier to operate a flight powered by sustainable biofuel as it took the delivery of a Boeing 777-300ER aircraft from Seattle to Abu Dhabi on Tuesday. The 14-hour delivery flight of the airline's newest aircraft was operated using a combination of traditional jet fuel and plant-based jet fuel, which is fully certified for use as commercial jet fuel, the Abu Dhabi-based carrier said in a statement. It added that "sustainability" is a key aspect of the biofuel production process and that the carrier - as a member of the global Sustainable Aviation Fuel Users Group - has committed to a stringent set of sustainability principles when looking at opportunities for biofuel development and use. "This flight marks a significant milestone in our efforts to support and drive the commercialisation of sustainable aviation fuel in Abu Dhabi, the region, and globally," James Hogan, Etihad Airways' President and Chief Executive Officer, said in a statement. "However, the use of a presently available biofuel is just one part of a more comprehensive long-term biofuel strategy to ensure that we are able to use biofuels to decarbonise substantially an entire industry sector in the long term."