In the latest development in what appears to be a rush by international airlines to demonstrate the use ofalternative fuels, Dutch airline KLM has announced what it is calling the world’s first passenger flight powered by biofuel. The flight was not a regularly scheduled commercial flight, but a demonstration by the airliner of the ability to feasibly utilize biofuels.

KLM used a Boeing 747 fueled with a 50 percent biokerosene mix in one of the airplane’s four engines. Passengers aboard the hour long flight over the Netherlands included about 40 journalists, politicians, and the Dutch director of the World Wildlife Fund.

In a press release issued following the event, KLM President and CEO Peter Hartman said that the flight was designed to illustrate the technical achievability of using alternative fuels for commercial aircraft. “Government, industry, and society at large must now join forces to ensure that we quickly gain access to a continuous supply of biofuel.”

Over the long term, KLM intends to develop a source of biofuels using strict financial, technological, and ecological criteria. According to Hartman, “The food chain may not be jeopardized, and production of biokerosene should not go hand in hand with deforestation and excessive water consumption.” In regards to the ecological issues associated with the fuel’s development, KLM’s partnership to create biofuel with North Sea Petroleum and Spring Associates is being advised by the World Wildlife Fund.

The biokerosene used by KLM in its initial flight was derived from oil from the seeds of the camelina plant. Camelina has been touted as a potentially successful source of biofuel, given its high oil content and an ability to grow in moderate climates as a rotation crop with wheat and other cereal crops. It is said to be drought-resistant, and is mainly grown in the northern plains of the US and Canada.

Japan Airlines used a similar biofuel on its demonstration flight back in January. Several other airlines have made test flights using alternative fuels, and others have plans for flights in the near future.

View a previously written post by Mouli Cohen about innovations