Welcomes The Interdepartmental Collaboration On Biofuels

The Aerospace Industries Association said late last week it is very encouraged by the agreement between the FAA and USDA on the development of jet fuel alternatives. "This is a welcome step forward," said AIA President and CEO Marion C. Blakey (pictured). "Alternative fuels are crucial to reach the environmental goals for aviation established by ICAO earlier this month."

The 37th ICAO Assembly resolution calls for two percent annual fuel efficiency improvements, carbon neutral growth from 2020 onward and a CO2 standard for aircraft with a target date of 2013.

Most experts agree that airlines would only need to transition 1.0 to 1.5 percent of their total fuel consumption to biofuels in order to reach sufficient demand for biofuels to attain commercial viability and entice suppliers to make necessary investments in scalability and infrastructure to meet airline needs. "The administration's commitment to developing alternative fuels is a critical driver to push this forward," said Blakey. "We look forward to working with FAA, USDA and commercial providers to bring cost-effective biofuels into production."

FMI: www.aia-aerospace.org