Air Force Ramps Up Biofuel Certification.
Flight International (2/10, Kuhn) reports that the US Air Force, as part of its effort to expand its "alternative fuel development" program, intends to certify "its entire fleet to use 50% Fischer-Tropsch blends by 2011, and is now looking for biofuel alternatives." The Air Force is looking to diversify its alternative fuel resources while maintaining the "chemical composition and performance" of standard JP-8 jet fuel, according to USAF Alternative Fuels Certification Office director Jeff Braun. The move toward biofuels follows a trend set by commercial airliners Air New Zealand, Continental Airlines and, Japan Airlines, who conducted "biofuel demonstrations in December and January."
JetBlue To Test Biofuels In Spring 2010.
Air Transport Intelligence (2/11, Kuhn) reported, "JetBlue Airways will operate a second-generation biofuel test" in an "Airbus A320-200 trial by spring 2010," according to a JetBlue spokesman. The alternative fuels being considered for the test are expected to "have the same properties as standard jet fuel and should not require engine or auxiliary power unit (APU) modifications," the spokesman says. It is also noted that the fuels will be derived "from feedstocks that do not compete with the food supply," such as algae and organic waste.