First commercial flight in the world to use biokerosene


1 Jul 2011

KLM has become the first airline in the world to operate a commercial flight on biokerosene.

Flight KL1233, a Boeing 737-800, carried 171 passengers from Schipol in Amsterdam to Charles de Gaulle in Paris on Tuesday, operating on fuel produced from used cooking oil.

Last week, the company announced it will be operating more than 200 flights from Amsterdam to Paris on biokerosene from September this year.

“In November 2009, we demonstrated that it was technically possible to fly on biokerosene,” said Camiel Eurlings, the airline’s managing director, last week. “Now, a year and a half after our first demonstration flight on Camelina, a new phase has been entered around the world, that of certification.”

The Dutch State Secretary of Infrastructure and the Environment, Joop Atsma, was present for the first commercial flight’s departure. “It will be interesting to follow and stimulate the further development of biofuels,” he said. “In taking this step, KLM clearly shows the value of finding clever ways to use waste derived from producers and consumers.”

The fuel for the flight was supplied by Dynamic Fuels via SkyNRG, the consortium co-founded by KLM in 2009 with the North Sea Group and Spring Associates.

KLM said it is open to using different raw materials for the end product, as long as they meet a range of sustainability criteria, including substantial reductions in CO2 emissions and minimum negative impact on biodiversity and food supply.

The airline said all biofuels to be used would also have to meet precisely the same technical specifications as traditional kerosene and must not require any adjustments to aircraft engines or infrastructure.

Article courtesy of Businessandleadership.com