Biofuel demonstration flight

Virgin Atlantic, one of the world’s leading long-haul airlines, has said it will fly one of its Boeing 747s on biofuel during a demonstration flight.

It will be the first time that a commercial aircraft has run biofuel in-flight and is part of a major initiative among some airlines and Boeing to discover sources of sustainable aircraft fuel for the future.

The jumbo jet will fly from London Heathrow to Amsterdam on a demonstration flight, with no passengers on board, using a truly sustainable type of biofuel that doesn't compete with food and fresh water resources, the company claimed.

“This breakthrough will help Virgin Atlantic to fly its planes using clean fuel sooner than expected. The demonstration flight next month will give us crucial knowledge that we can use to dramatically reduce our carbon footprint,” Sir Richard Branson, president of Virgin Atlantic, said.