Continental Airlines Announces Results of Biofuel Demonstration Flight
June 17 2009 - 11:04AM
PR Newswire (US)
HOUSTON, June 17 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- Continental Airlines
(NYSE: CAL) today announced the results of its Jan. 7, 2009,
biofuel demonstration flight, which was conducted in partnership
with Boeing, GE Aviation/CFM International, and Honeywell's UOP.
The biofuel blend performed as well as or better than traditional
jet fuel, displaying an approximately 1.1 percent increase in fuel
efficiency over traditional jet fuel in different stages of the
demonstration flight. Overall life cycle greenhouse gas emissions
related to using a biofuel of the nature used on the Continental
demonstration flight are estimated to be reduced by 60 percent to
80 percent as compared to traditional jet fuel. "We are pleased
with the successful results of Continental's biofuel demonstration
flight," said Leah Raney, Continental's managing director of global
environmental affairs. "We look forward to working with our
partners as biofuels go through the certification process, and we
hope to see these fuels produced in commercial quantities in the
near future." The Continental flight was the first biofuel
demonstration flight by a commercial carrier in North America, the
first sustainable biofuel demonstration flight by a commercial
carrier using a two-engine aircraft, and the first biofuel
demonstration flight by a commercial carrier using fuel partially
derived from algae. During the approximately 90-minute flight,
Continental test pilots successfully engaged the aircraft, a Boeing
737-800 equipped with CFM International CFM56-7B engines, in a
number of flight maneuvers, such as mid-flight engine shutdown and
re-start, and power accelerations and decelerations. The aircraft's
No. 2 engine operated with a biofuel blend consisting of 50 percent
biologically-derived fuel and 50 percent traditional jet fuel. The
aircraft's No. 1 engine operated on 100 percent traditional jet
fuel, allowing Continental to compare performance between the
biofuel blend and traditional fuel. The flight took place in
January 2009 in Houston, and the biofuel blend included components
derived from algae and jatropha plants, both sustainable,
second-generation sources that do not impact food crops or water
resources or contribute to deforestation. The algae oil was
provided by Sapphire Energy, and the jatropha oil by Terasol
Energy. Because the fuel was a "drop-in" fuel, no modifications
were necessary to the aircraft or engine. After inspections, the
aircraft returned to regular revenue service the next day.
Continental's biofuel demonstration is one of numerous
environmental initiatives that the company has undertaken in the
past several years. The airline also recently enhanced its
recycling program, has undertaken comprehensive efforts to reduce
the environmental impact of its ground fleet by testing alternative
energy sources, and offers customers a carbon offset program,
offered through nonprofit Sustainable Travel International. Also
this year, Continental worked with the Federal Aviation
Administration to test an Optimal Arrival Runway Program at the
airline's Bush Intercontinental hub in Houston. The program permits
the use of more straight-in approaches and landings, resulting in
reduced emissions and fuel usage on an average flight. Continental
has been an airline industry leader in environmental responsibility
for more than a decade, with a dedicated team of environmental
professionals who work to review and mitigate the airline's
environmental impact in every aspect of its business. Continental
Airlines is the world's fifth largest airline. Continental,
together with Continental Express and Continental Connection, has
more than 2,750 daily departures throughout the Americas, Europe
and Asia, serving 133 domestic and 132 international destinations.
More than 750 additional points are served via current alliance
partners. With more than 43,000 employees, Continental has hubs
serving New York, Houston, Cleveland and Guam, and together with
its regional partners, carries approximately 67 million passengers
per year. Celebrating its 75th anniversary this year, Continental
consistently earns awards and critical acclaim for both its
operation and its corporate culture. For the sixth consecutive
year, FORTUNE magazine named Continental the No. 1 World's Most
Admired Airline on its 2009 list of World's Most Admired Companies.
For more company information, go to continental.com. DATASOURCE:
Continental Airlines CONTACT: Corporate Communications of
Continental Airlines, +1-713-324-5080, Web Site:
http://www.continental.com/
Copyright