Hope Rises for Air Peace, Max Air, Others As Indonesia Launches 1st Commercial Flight Using Palm Oil
- Indonesia flag carrier Garuda has flown its first commercial flight using palm oil-blended aviation fuel
- This will come as good news for Nigerian airline operators such as Air Peace Max Air, who are battling with a high cost of aviation fuel
- Checks show a litre of aviation fuel is currently sold at N1,000 per litre; palm oil could be a viable alternative
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Legit.ng journalist Dave Ibemere has over a decade of experience covering business and the economy.
Garuda Indonesia, the flag carrier of Indonesia, has announced that it successfully flew a Boeing 737-800NG aircraft using aviation fuel blended with palm oil.
According to local media reports, the company's President Director, Irfan Setiaputra, disclosed this achievement while receiving the airplane at Soekarno-Hatta International Airport.
Source: Facebook
He revealed that over 100 people were aboard when the aircraft took off from the Soekarno-Hatta International Airport in Banten province to the Adi Soemarmo International Airport in Central Java, about 550 km away, on Friday, October 27, 2023.
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Speaking to journalists, Setiaputra said:
"This is the first time. After having carried out a successful trial, we used biofuel for a commercial flight."
Palm oil as option for aviation fuel
Reuters reports that Indonesia, the world's biggest palm oil producer, is now pushing for wider use of biofuels to cut fuel imports.
According to Reuters, the palm-oil blended jet fuel is produced by Indonesian state energy firm PT Pertamina at its Cilacap refinery, using hydroprocessed esters and fatty acid (HEFA) technology and is made of refined bleached deodorized palm kernel oil.
Pertamina has said that palm-based fuel emits less atmosphere-warming greenhouse gases compared with fossil fuels, and palm oil-producing countries have called for edible oil to be included in feedstock for the production of sustainable aviation fuel (SAF).
Setiaputra added that we will discuss further with Pertamina, the Energy Ministry and other parties to ensure this fuel is commercially reasonable.
It's Cheaper": Air Peace, Max Air, and others suggest palm oil as aviation fuel cost hits N1000/L
Legit.ng reported that Airline operators have said Nigeria is mature enough to find alternatives for aviation fuel, also known as JetAI, considering the high cost of imports.
The operators called on the Nigerian government Wednesday, October 18, 2023, in Abuja at a meeting on developing and using Sustainable Aviation Fuel (SAF), Low Carbon Available Fuel, and other transparent fuel sources in Nigeria.
Source: Legit.ng
