KLM will start a series of biofuel-powered flights between Amsterdam Schiphol and Paris Charles de Gaulle in September.
The Netherlands-based carrier will operate more than 200 flights between the two cities using Boeing 737s fuelled by a mixture of standard kerosene and a biofuel derived from used cooking oil.
In November 2009, the SkyTeam alliance member carried out a demonstration flight of a Boeing 747 partly-powered by a biofuel derived from the camelina plant.
KLM said it had not abandoned camelina but its priority is to find a fuel with adequate feedstock. September's planned flights are part of the airline's continuing search for the best available biofuel.
It is open to using different raw materials to create biofuel as long as sustainability criteria - such as substantial carbon dioxide emission reductions and minimum negative impact on biodiversity and food supplies - are met.
The new biofuel will be produced by Dynamic Fuels and supplied by SkyNRG, a consortium launched by KLM and North Sea Group, and Spring Associates, which is developing a sustainable supply chain for aviation biofuels.
Source: Flight International
