Biotech Updates

Air Canada to Participate in Biofuel Tests

April 26, 2017
http://aircanada.mediaroom.com/index.php?s=43&item=1128

Air Canada recently announced its participation in the Civil Aviation Alternate Fuel Contrail and Emissions Research project (CAAFCER). It is a research project led by the National Research Council of Canada (NRC) to test the environmental benefits of biofuel use on contrails.

The project will measure the impact of biofuel blends on contrail formation by aircraft on five biofuel flights operated by Air Canada between Montreal and Toronto. A reduction in the thickness and coverage of contrails produced by jet engines of aircraft could reduce aviation's impact on the environment, a beneficial effect of biofuel use in aviation.

During the biofuel flights, the National Research Council of Canada will trail the Air Canada aircraft with a modified T-33 research jet to sample and test the contrail biofuel emissions. The sustainable biofuel is produced by AltAir Fuels from used cooking oil and supplied by SkyNRG.

Air Canada has been taking steps to reduce its carbon footprint. One of its most notable recent accomplishments is a 40% improvement in average fuel efficiency between 1990 and 2016.