Is Green Air Travel On The Horizon?

With the completion of the test flight of a Virgin Atlantic Boeing 747 from London to Amsterdam on February 26, 2008, green air travel could be the next wave of ecotourism. Using a fuel made from babassu oil and coconut oil, the plane flight was a test-run of alternative fuel use for commercial airplanes. According to Jim Heimlich, the Air Transport Association’s chief economist, U.S. airlines will likely start testing alternative fuels in 2009. Other biofuel alternative possibilities include algae and biomass. However, one of the roadblocks to green air travel right now is the financial viability of a fuel that is safe for the environment. Additionally, some green environmentalists are not in support of the use of a biofuel for commercial flights, citing the use as a distraction from more important issues like global climate change.