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The countdown has officially begun.  December 3rd is just a few weeks away and on that day, history will be made.  The world’s first commercial flight powered by bio-fuel will fly, and it is Air New Zealand that is behind the wheel, er, stick.

Personally, this is probably the coolest news I could have possibly woken up to on a Monday morning.  It is no secret that for a long, long time, air travel has been one of the largest and most horrendous offenders on the list of global warming contributors.  This, if successful, could be one large step towards a future where that reality is much, much different.  According to reports, everything should go off without any issues at all, as the fuel has been specially tested to work.  The article mentioned,

“Laboratory testing showed the final blend has excellent properties meeting, and in many cases exceeding, the stringent technical requirements for fuels used in civil and defence aircraft. The blended fuel therefore meets the essential requirement of being a ‘drop-in’ fuel, meaning its properties will be virtually indistinguishable from conventional Jet A1 fuel, which is used in commercial aviation today.”

My fingers are crossed, the countdown has begun and I can’t wait to see how things turn out.  Check out Air New Zealand’s official press release, they have plenty to say, and plenty to be proud of.

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