Here's a Valentine's gift to all... Virgin Atlantic, one of the world's leading long-haul airlines, recently announced that in February, they'll fly one of their 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," says Virgin Atlantic.
For its demo, the 747 will fly from the world's busiest airport, London Heathrow, to Amsterdam using the noted biofuel - which doesn't compete with food and fresh water resources. Of course, no passengers will be on board. The flight, in conjunction with Boeing and engine maker GE Aviation, is part of Virgin Atlantic's drive to reduce its environmental impact wherever possible. The demonstration forms part of Virgin Atlantic's vision for what the aviation industry can achieve by using clean-fuel technology to reduce carbon emissions.
Says Sir Richard Branson, the widely-known entreprenuer and President of Virgin Atlantic, "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. Virgin Group pledged to invest all its profits from its transportation companies towards developing clean energy and with this breakthrough we are well down the path to achieving our goals." More on Virgin Atlantic's Sustainability Challenge here.