Airbus and Virgin take new route to greener flying
Airbus has joined a consortium including Virgin Australia to study a new pathway to produce sustainable aviation fuels.
Eucalyptus mallee trees, grown in Western Australia’s wheat belt, are sustainably harvested and converted to a feedstock for refining into alternative aviation fuel via a process called Pyrolysis.
Mallee is indigenous to Australia, adapting to an environment where it helps return salt-affected land to a productive state.
In a statement, Airbus said growing these trees to make alternative fuels encourages large scale planting, "which is expected to bring a range of environmental and social benefits to farmers and rural communities".
Airbus’ role includes supporting the approval and certification process so that Pyrolysis based fuels can be used for the first time in commercial aviation.
The project objective is to have a pilot alternative fuel production plant operating in Australia in the next year.
by TravelMole Asia
Bev
Editor in chief Bev Fearis has been a travel journalist for 25 years. She started her career at Travel Weekly, where she became deputy news editor, before joining Business Traveller as deputy editor and launching the magazine’s website. She has also written travel features, news and expert comment for the Guardian, Observer, Times, Telegraph, Boundless and other consumer titles and was named one of the top 50 UK travel journalists by the Press Gazette.
EU airports bring back 100ml liquid rule
British Airways passengers endure 11-hour 'flight to nowhere'
CLIA: Anti-cruise demos could cause itinerary changes in Europe
Co-pilot faints, easyJet flight issues ‘red alert’
Dozens fall ill in P&O Cruises ship outbreak