Used Cooking Oil To Help Fuel Singapore-San Francisco Flights
SAN FRANCISCO (CBS SF) -- Singapore Airlines officials announced Monday that bio-fuel produced from used cooking oil will help power its Airbus A350-900 on the nearly 17-hour flight between Singapore's Changi airport and San Francisco International.
Airline officials said they would operate a series of 12 flights over a three-month period powered by a blend of sustainable biofuel and conventional jet fuel.
The flights will be the first of their kind in the Asia Pacific region being operated as part of a wider 'green package'.
The first of the 12 biofuel-powered flights, Singapore Airlines SQ31, departed San Francisco at 11:21 a.m. Monday with 206 passengers on board. The subsequent 11 flights will also serve the same route and operate weekly.
Over the three-month period, the jets will be powered by a combination of HEFA (Hydro-processed Esters and Fatty Acids), a sustainable biofuel produced from used cooking oils, and conventional jet fuel.
"As an industry leader in sustainability efforts, we are proud that Singapore Airlines has chosen SFO for the launching point for their first flights across the Pacific using bio-fuel," said Airport Director Ivar C. Satero in a prepared statement. "Together, we are showing that there are no boundaries to what airlines and airports can achieve when they make a commitment to the environment."
