Biofuel test flight successful

Air New Zealand yesterday successfully flew a test flight powered by second-generation biofuel, and hailed it as a "significant milestone" in the development of sustainable fuels for aircraft.

The airline used a 50-50 blend of standard jet fuel and synthetic fuel made from the oil of jatropha plant seeds to power one of the engines on a Boeing 747 during a two-hour test flight.

It was the world's first test flight using jatropha biofuel and followed a Virgin Atlantic test flight earlier in the year using a blend including coconut oil and babassu nut oil.