Lufthansa Begins Regular Biofuel Flights

The Telegraph: An Airbus A321 completed the one hour 10 minute flight from Hamburg to Frankfurt using a 50-50 mix of conventional and alternative fuel. The trial, which will last six months, will entail 1,200 flights. Should the programme be successful, the use of biofuel – in this case biosynthetic kerosene – will be extended to other routes.

According to Lufthansa the programme will reduce carbon emissions by 1,500 tonnes. Environmental lobby groups have been sceptical of the programme, arguing that aviation’s use of biofuels is less environmentally friendly than the aviation industry says.

But Christoph Franz, Lufthansa’s chief executive insisted the airline’s trial did not entail using material which could otherwise be used for food production. “Lufthansa is the first airline worldwide to use biofuel in scheduled daily flight operations. We are thus continuing to steadily implement our proven and successful strategy for sustainability,” he added.

The International Air Transport Association, which represents the world’s major airlines has said that biofuel will account for 10 per cent of the total used by the industry by 2017. It has also pledged to cut the industry’s carbon footprint by improving energy efficiency and improved air traffic control which will cut the time aircraft spend in the air.

Thomson has said it will begin biofuel flights by the end of the month, while Virgin, Continental, JAL and Air NZ have also established programmes. Meanwhile British Airways has entered a partnership with an American company, Solena, to turn household waste into jet fuel.

But the latest initiative by Lufthansa has failed to satisfy Robbie Blake, biofuels campaigner for Friends of the Earth Europe. “Lufthansa is painting itself green with biofuels – but these flights are anything but environmentally friendly,” he said.

“Biofuels exacerbate poverty and hunger, drive land grabbing and deforestation, push up food prices, and make climate change worse.

“Short-haul flights from Hamburg to Frankfurt, bio-fuelled or not, can never be green. Lufthansa’s passengers, and the climate, would be better off catching the train.”