Etihad Airways have operated the first sustainable biofuel powered delivery flight in the Gulf.

The 14-hour flight from Seattle to Abu Dhabi was the delivery flight of Etihad’s newest Boeing 777-300ER and arrived yesterday (24 January 2012).

James Hogan, Etihad Airways’ President and Chief Executive Officer, said: “This flight marks a significant milestone in our efforts to  support and drive the commercialisation of sustainable aviation fuel in Abu Dhabi, the region, and globally.”

The delivery flight of the airline’s newest and most efficient long haul aircraft was operated using a combination of traditional jet fuel and plant-based jet fuel, which is fully certified for use as commercial jet fuel.

James Hogan continued: “The use of a presently available biofuel is just one part of a more comprehensive long-term biofuel strategy to ensure that we are able to use biofuels to decarbonise substantially an entire industry sector in the long term.”

SkyNRG, an Amsterdam-based sustainable jet fuel provider, supplied the fuel, which is based on recycled vegetable cooking oil. As a plant-based source that has been used already for cooking purposes, it qualifies as a bio-based waste stream with a high sustainability value.

Dirk Kronemeijer, SkyNRG’s Managing Director, said: “We think the Middle East has great potential to give a critical boost towards making a market for sustainable jet fuel that is affordable.  With this flight Etihad Airways has taken a fantastic step, particularly in increasing awareness within the region. There is a lot more to come in this continent and we are determined to be there when that happens.”

Boeing also supported this initiative by supplying their ‘fly-away’ fuel, provided for every new delivery, as a biofuel blend.

Etihad Airways, as a member of the global Sustainable Aviation Fuel Users Group, has committed to a stringent set of sustainability principles when looking at opportunities for biofuel development and use. This includes ensuring that feedstock is non-competitive with food sources and does not jeopardise drinking water supplies.

With new regulations now being imposed on aviation carbon emissions, the commercial viability of biofuel is gaining even more importance. Starting this year, the EU emissions trading scheme (ETS) will require all airlines to pay for emissions and this is likely to lead to other such schemes around the world. Biofuel is considered  ‘carbon neutral’ as the plant biomass takes in carbon as it grows and releases it again during the combustion process, and this means that the use of biofuel as part of the EU ETS would be considered exempt.

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Etihad Airways has been named the World’s Leading Airline at the World Travel Awards for the third year in a row.

The national airline of the United Arab Emirates was presented with the award at the black-tie event last night (11 January 2012) in Doha, Qatar.

Etihad Airways were also presented with the World’s Leading First Class and the World’s Leading Airline to the Middle East awards.

James Hogan, Etihad Airways’ President and Chief Executive Officer, said: “We are delighted to have been named World’s Leading Airline at the World Travel Awards for the third successive year.

“2011 was a fantastic year for Etihad Airways, during which we began to reap the full benefits of financial and operational strategies developed over the last five years.

“Nothing is as important to us as our guests and we work tirelessly to ensure their experience with Etihad Airways surpasses expectations. We are always looking to innovate, whether that be by introducing qualified chefs in our Diamond First Class or bringing industry-leading inflight entertainment systems with mobile and internet connectivity to the sky.

“Etihad Airways’ vision is simple: to be the best airline in the world. These accolades from industry experts at the World Travel Awards demonstrate that we are meeting that goal.”

The World Travel Awards recognize the best airline, hospitality and tourism brands in the world.

2011 was a good year for Etihad Airways, which included the launch of seven new international routes and the purchase of a 29.2% stake in airberlin.

Photo: Mathieu Marquer

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