IATA Aims to Replace Diesel with Biofuel by 2010

The International Air Transport Association (IATA) is quickly aiming to reduce its carbon emissions. So, in anticipation of this endeavor, the air transport regulator has announced a biofuel use scheme which will aim to see commercial flights run on biofuels by 2010.

Paul Steele, head of environmental initiatives at IATA, said that the association is quite serious about reducing their carbon footprint and the scheme would be certified before the end of the next year. The certification is aimed at eliminating investment insecurities, and thus generating more funding for high quality biofuels.

A major landmark will be reached when the airline industries can eliminate their dependency on fossil fuels, which currently are used are nearly every commercial flight. The IATA has estimated that with the advent of aviation biofuel emissions could be reduced by roughly 80 per cent during a full carbon life-cycle scale. The same measures would see a decrease of about 600 kilogrammes in carbon emissions per flight when flying a Boeing 747 -400 aircraft.

The main appeal of biofuel is that aircraft would not need to be altered in order to make the switch, saving time, money, and safety issues. Several test flights have been flown and demonstrated with aircraft using biofuel and it remains highly possible as an option for clean fuel transport.

IATA’s endeavors are more expansive than simply introducing biofuel on a widespread scale, however. The association plans to reduce it’s carbon usage in other ways as well. Mostly, the purpose of incorporating biofuels is to show other nations that the aviation industry is a separate issue when developing and researcher clean fuel technologies and is a good way to make an impact on climate change prior to the Copenhagen UN climate talks.