Article Posted on : - Apr 04, 2011

Mexico's domestic carrier Interjet.

WASHINGTON (PTI): Mexico has reportedly made aviation history by carrying out its first successful bio-fuel flight using an Airbus A320 aircraft.

The country's domestic carrier Interjet carried out the flight on Saturday, using biofuel made from locally sourced jatropha, an oil-producing, non-edible plant harvested in the southern Mexican state of Chiapas, media reports said.

One of the two engines powering the aircraft used 30 percent bio-fuel as the Airbus A320 flew from Mexico City International airport to Angel Albino Corzo of Tuxtla Gutierrez airport in Chiapas, Gilberto Lopez Meyer, Mexico's Director of airports and auxiliary services, said.

"The test flight is the realisation of a two-year ambition for Interjet to develop a production chain for renewable bio-fuel, with the purpose of creating a Mexican platform for sustainable aviation bio-kerosene," Interjet President Miguel Aleman was quoted as saying.

Jatropha is crucial to efforts to reduce carbon dioxide emissions and has the potential to reduce the overall carbon dioxide footprint by up to 80 percent over standard aviation kerosene, European plane maker Airbus said.

Meanwhile, US aircraft manufacturer Boeing has released a research conducted by Yale University which showed significant potential for sustainable aviation fuel based on the jatropha plant.

The study has shown that jatropha can deliver strong environmental and socioeconomic benefits in Latin America and greenhouse gas reductions of up to 60 per cent when compared with petroleum-based jet fuel.