Lufthansa has begun the world’s first scheduled commercial passenger services using biofuel, with the launch on Friday of four return daily flights between Hamburg and Frankfurt operated by an Airbus A321 powered by a 50 per cent Hydro-processed Esters and Fatty Acids (HEFA) biofuel blend.
The flights will operate for an initial six month period as part of the ‘Burn Fair’ research program to investigate the long term impact of biofuels on aircraft performance, and were able to commence following the HWFA biofuel’s approval for use by the world fuels standards body, the ASTM, on July 1.
The biofuel Lufthansa is using – a blend of jatropha, camelina and animal fats – is produced by Finnish oil company Neste Oil.
