Alaska will power flights with biofuel

Alaska Airlines will begin commercial flights powered by a mix of conventional jet fuel and biofuel made from refined and reprocessed used cooking oils Wednesday.

The first two flights will operate between Sea-Tac Airport and Portland and Sea-Tac and Washington, D.C.

“The 75 flights that Alaska Airlines and Horizon Air will fly over the next few weeks reflect our longstanding commitment to environmental responsibility and our belief that sustainable biofuels are key to aviation’s future,” Alaska Air Group Chairman and CEO Bill Ayer said.

Wider adoption of biofuels will likely wait until cost and availability issues are solved.

A Louisiana company is the only source that could supply biofuel in sufficient quantity for the test, said Alaska. Including the price of transporting the fuel to Sea-Tac and for the 75 flight trials, the fuel cost the airline about $17 a gallon for a 50-50 biofuel-jet fuel mixture. That compares with the cost of conventional jet fuel of about $3 a gallon.