A United Airline’s Boeing 737-800 has become the first American commercial passenger jet to fly using advanced biofuels, following by just four months its approval by international aviation regulators. The November 7, 2011, flight from Houston, Texas, to Chicago, Illinois, reportedly used a blend of 60 percent traditional petroleum-based Jet-A fuel and 40 percent aviation biofuel made from algal oil. According to news sources, the technology can offer an 85 percent reduction in greenhouse gas emissions compared to fossil fuels.

United has apparently signed a letter of intent to buy 20 million gallons of algae-derived biofuel annually starting in 2014 from Solazyme Inc., which provided the biofuel for the maiden commercial flight. United officials purportedly said the agreement represents 0.6 percent of the airline’s jet fuel consumption, with 3.3 billion gallons of Jet-A fuel used in 2010. Costs of the maiden flight evidently were about the same as a regular flight. “For the long term we need for this to be competitive with Jet-A to reduce our dependence on foreign oil and reduce emissions,” said Pete McDonald, United’s executive vice president and chief operations officer. “It’s going to take a number of years, but you have to start somewhere and this is our first step.”  

Meanwhile, Alaska Airlines and sister carrier Horizon Air have announced that they will operate 75 select flights between Seattle, Washington, and two cities—Washington, D.C. and Portland, Oregon,—using a 20-percent blend of sustainable biofuel made from used cooking oil, which will reduce carbon dioxide emissions by 10 percent. See Chicago Tribune, November 8, 2011; Alaska Airlines Press Release, November 9, 2011.

In a related development, Boeing has reportedly entered a collaboration agreement with Hawai’i BioEnergy to identify crops that can be used to create jet fuel. Among the plants currently being studied are sorghum and eucalyptus. According to a news source, the companies will also assess new technologies that support aviation biofuel production. A Boeing spokesperson said, “As an Asia Pacific gateway and leading tourism destination, Hawaii can play a meaningful role in helping aviation reduce carbon emissions, while increasing regional energy resources. This collaborative effort will allow us to examine potential local options, while protecting the beauty and culture these islands have to offer.” See ATWOnline, November 11, 2011.