Alaska Airlines announces biofuel-powered commercial service

by chad on November 7, 2011

Alaska Airlines and United Airlines announced today that they will be launching biofuel powered commercial jet service this week. While they have not mentioned any Alaska bound flights yet, this is a great step in aviation and in environmentally sustainable travel.

Bill Ayer, Alaska Air Group chairman and CEO said “This is a historic week for U.S. aviation. The 75 flights that Alaska Airlines and Horizon Air will fly over the next few weeks reflect our longstanding commitment to environmental responsibility and our belief that sustainable biofuels are key to aviation’s future.” Alaska Air Group also says that their fleet of commercial jets represent the youngest and most environmentally friendly fleets among all fleets in the continental United States.

While they’re only using 20% biofuel blend, they estimate a 10% reduction in greenhouse gases. This is the equivalent of taking 26 cars off the road for a full year. What an exciting first step!

From Alaska Wildland Adventures to Alaska Airlines: THANK YOU! We know it’s not an easy task to do something like this, but we appreciate your effort in keeping Alaska and our earth beautiful.

Sources: Airlinesanddestinations.com and rdmag.com

Graphic from: Alaska Airlines Facebook Page