Every race has a winner and a loser. When it comes to finding alternative ways to fuel jet aircraft, it turns out that there are nothing but winners. The testing of such fuels is on the rise and IAPA supports each airline entering a race where the only outcome is victory.

Much has been made about the need for the airline industry to reduce carbon emissions. Airlines contribute roughly 2 per cent of all greenhouse gasses, depositing pollutants at very high altitudes. The European Union is implementing a cap-and-trade scheme for industrial polluters that will include the airline industry from 2012. Other world regions are considering similar initiatives. Several factors contribute to pollution by the industry. Among the most notorious are older, less efficient aircraft and the numerous congestion delays that plague airlines and airports around the world. Given the current economic climate, airlines are finding it difficult to maintain current aircraft orders or make new ones. Newer, more fuel-efficient aircraft will help ease carbon emissions but, while the investment in such planes might be delayed or slowed, the current financial difficulties may accelerate the use of alternative fuels on current aircraft, and that's what some airlines are testing.

Japan Airlines, Air New Zealand, Virgin Atlantic and Continental Airlines have all tested or announced tests of varying types of fuels mixed in part with bio agents. The goal is to create a sustainable alternative to standard jet fuel that will reduce emissions and cut down on the carbon footprint created by the processing of fossil-based fuels. There is much testing to be done before bio fuels become the new standard. Currently, the airlines are testing roughly a 20 per cent fuel mix on a single engine. How bio fuel mixes stand up the extreme cold temperatures at altitude is one of several concerns that require further testing. Nonetheless, IAPA finds it encouraging that more and more airlines are participating with aircraft manufacturers and engine makers in finding ways to minimize carbon emissions. Coupled with a push for airspace efficiency and the funding of efforts to ease congestion delays, the use of bio fuels will be a welcome advancement for an industry that has had little to celebrate in recent years.

Bio fuel sources can range from switch grass, corn, sugar, natural oils and even algae. Each has its own merits and drawbacks. One chief concern is that whatever solution becomes standard, it must not interfere with necessary food supplies or negatively impact the ecology. Much is yet to be learned from alternative fuel sources and, as with any long journey, small steps must first be taken. When we reach the point where sustainable, ecologically-friendly means of powering the aircraft of today and tomorrow are the norm, we'll have pioneering airlines and aerospace workers to thank. If it means that a new competitive environment emerges among companies who want to find the right alternative fuel source, we'll all be winners in the end.