Then The Skies Turned Green
In a move which will be welcomed by government, green campaigners and passengers alike, Boeing, Air New Zealand and Rolls Royce have announced plans to create a Boeing 747 which will run on biofuel. While the plane will not be ready until mid 2008, there are hopes that this could be the major break through in the move to green fuels. So how will it be different?
Apart from the fact that the new plane is expected to substantially reduce the output of CO2 during flights, the new biofuel which will be used will be non-food connected. Those who have been reading about the development of biofuels may have read that food based biofuels have caused havoc in the food markets, with the large amount of ingredients used causing an imbalance in the supply / demand ratio, and pushing some food prices higher. The fact that this new biofuel will use forestry and agricultural waste products has been welcomed as a major step forward.
So what will it mean for ticket prices?
Unfortunately, with development comes a heavy cost of research and development. While the carriers will save money in the long run, there will be a short term spike which the consumer will need to contribute to. As with any new technology the process should become more efficient and see prices fall back in due course.
However, it does look as if kerosene fuel (traditional jet fuel) will need to be added to the mix in the short term, while the biofuel sustainability and efficiency is tested still further. While there will be those who see this as a way of pleasing the various governments and campaigners around the world, it does finally seem as though the industry is taking the biofuel issue seriously.
We may soon be seeing green travel in the blue skies!