Aircraft operated with linseed oil

Japanese airline (JAL) has just successfully piloted the first biofuel flight from flax on January 30.

Testing is part of a joint project between Boeing and Pratt and Whiney (USA) and JAL - Asia's largest airline. The test flight takes about 90 minutes.

A Boeing 747 was selected as a test for a new biofuel. It took off from Haneda Airport in Tokyo. An aircraft engine is filled with biofuels and kerosen oil. Linen oil (camelina) accounts for the largest proportion in biofuels. In addition, the engineers added oil from algae and jatropha and fuel mixture. JAL stated they did not change the design of the aircraft and the engine.

A Boeing 747 of Japanese airline.Photo: boeing.com.

'Today is an extremely important day for JAL, the world aviation industry and the environment. The biofuel test flight brings us closer to finding cleaner fuels to replace gasoline. When biofuels are produced on a large scale, I hope JAL will be the first airline in the world to use them , 'said Haruka Nishimatsu, president of JAL.

'Flax, algae and sesame oil are plants that do not scramble for land, water and food with food crops. Their exploitation does not lead to deforestation. So they are very friendly to the environment, ' JAL said.

Prior to this test, Boeing conducted three projects of aircraft biofuel production.