Alaska Airlines Makes History With First Bio Fueled Commercial Flight

Alaska Airlines made history this week when they completed the first commercial airplane flight powered by renewable bio fuel.

The flight went from Seattle-Tacoma International Airport to Reagan National Airport in Washington, D.C. using a blend of jet fuel made from forest residuals such as branches and bark.

The excess biomass left over from forest thinning is typically piled and burned. The forest residuals for the fuel were all collected from sustainably managed forests in the Pacific Northwest.

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Using the renewable bio fuel instead of traditional jet fuel cuts greenhouse gas emissions by 50-80% from its creation to its use. Though one flight doesn’t seem like enough to make a huge dent in the airline’s carbon footprint, the company plans on replacing 20% of its fuel use with green energy, saving the atmosphere from 142,000 metric tons of CO2.

“We strive to set ourselves apart by driving sustainable innovation and performance, and are committed to making choices that have a positive impact on our communities. For us, it’s just how we do business,” says the airline’s website. “In 2013, we developed a 2020 sustainability strategy to focus our efforts on the most important sustainability challenges. Since then, we’ve reported openly on our goals, progress and challenges.”

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