New Zealand to miss target on biofuels

Air New Zealand plans to convert its domestic ground handling equipment to use either electricity or biodiesel, but says it may take longer than first thought to reach its goal of replacing 10% of the jet fuel it uses for its aircraft with biofuel. The airline took part in a biofuel test flight at the end of 2008 and spent much of last year focusing on how to introduce the greener energy option to its operations. Chief Executive Rob Fyfe said the algae developments looked promising in the longer term, with a potential roll out in five to 10 years. He said Air New Zealand expected to use biofuel initially on its domestic network, where a 70-80% market share justified installing the necessary infrastructure. (February 19, 2010)