Alaska Airlines to power commercial flights with biofuel blend

Chairman and CEO Bill Ayer to biofuels industry: "If you build it, we will buy it."

by:

Sarah Dewey

During a week in which talk of aviation has been all barrel rolls and landing gear mishaps, Alaska Airlines has boldly announced that it will make its first biofuel-powered commercial flights on Wednesday. The Seattle Business magazine Green Washington award winner said Monday that it would fly 75 domestic flights powered by a 20 percent blend of sustainable biofuels.

Biofuels have had their heyday this autumn, as the Sustainable Aviation Fuels Northwest project has picked up speed and the University of Washington and Washington State University split $80 million in industry- and research-boosting federal grants at the end of September.

While the use of biofuels can reduce carbon emissions, Alaska Air Group chairman and CEO Bill Ayer also trumpeted the economic benefits of biofuel blends: “They will enable us to fly cleaner, foster job growth in a new industry, and can insulate airlines from the volatile price swings of conventional fuel to help make air travel more economical,” he said in the company’s press release.

The first two biofuel flights will depart Seattle for Portland, Oregon and Washington, D.C. on Wednesday.

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