Air New Zealand (ANZ) has re-scheduled a planned test flight using biofuel to late this month.
The Star Alliance carrier originally scheduled the test flight for 3 December but it was delayed as a result of a recent crash involving one of its Airbus A320s in the Mediterranean Sea. ANZ had been preparing to take the A320 back off lease from Germany's XL Airways and the crash during a pre-delivery test flight killed seven people including five New Zealanders.
ANZ says the much-publicised biofuel test flight will now take place on 30 December, with a jatropha biofuel blend powering one Rolls-Royce RB211 engine from one of its Boeing 747-400s.
The aircraft is scheduled to make a 2hr flight, departing from Auckland airport on the morning of 30 December. ANZ says the crew "will undertake a number of fuel tests confirming and measuring the performance of the engine and fuel systems at various altitudes and under a variety of operating conditions".
Source: Air Transport Intelligence news
