Continental Airlines to Start 2009 with Flight Powered by Sustainable Biofuels

December 15, 2008 // Published as a news service by IHS

The demonstration flight, which will be operated with no passengers, will be powered by a special fuel blend including components derived from algae and jatropha plants - sustainable, second-generation fuel sources that don't affect food crops or water resources and don't contribute to deforestation.

Continental said the demonstration flight will be the first biofuel flight by a commercial carrier using algae as a fuel source and the first using a two-engine aircraft, a Boeing 737-800 equipped with CFM International CFM56-7B engines.

The fuel used in one of the two CFM engines during the demonstration flight will be a blend of 50% traditional jet fuel and 50% biofuel from algae and jatropha.

Operating under a specially issued experimental aircraft type certificate, the aircraft crew will be made up of Continental's Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) licensed test pilots.

With no passengers on board, the flight test plan calls for operating the No. 2 (right) engine on the special biofuel blend, including power accelerations/decelerations, in-flight engine shutdown and restart and other flight maneuvers that include both normal and non-normal procedures.

Continental said numerous flight parameters will be recorded, and a post-flight engine analysis will contribute to findings that are expected to show that the biofuel blend is readily substitutable for regular fuel without any degradation of performance or safety, and with a net reduction in carbon emissions.

"This flight represents another step in Continental's commitment to reducing carbon emissions and identifying sustainable, long-term fuel solutions for the aviation industry," said Larry Kellner, Continental chairman and CEO.

Source: Continental Airlines.