New Delhi (Sputnik): The test flight of India's first biofuel-powered commercial airplane, a Bombardier Q-400, will take off from the northern hill station of Dehradun, fly over the city for 10 minutes and the return to the same airport, according to media reports. If the test goes well, then the Spice Jet plane will take off again and this time head to the national capital, Delhi. The two cities are roughly an hour apart by plane.
The flight regulatory authority of India, DGCA, will be keeping an eye on the whole operation.
#India celebrated #WorldBiofuelDay by announcing a new National Biofuel Policy. It expects to achieve a 10% #ethanol blend by 2020 and E20 by 2030! How they´ll do it? With 12 new #biofuel refineries. That´s quite a pace towards the #biofuture. https://t.co/Q9s58GAfiw
— Biofuture (@Biofuture_) August 14, 2018
India's Biofuel Policy defines a biofuel as fuel produced from renewable resources and used in place of or blended with diesel, petrol, or other fossil fuels for transport, stationary, portable and other applications.
READ MORE: India to Curb Import Bill by Converting Surplus Food Grains Into Biofuel
The world's first biofuel-powered flight was operated in 2011 by Alaska Airlines using biofuel containing cooking oil. KLM airline had operated a few biofuel flights between New York and Amsterdam in 2013. In January this year Australian carrier Qantas flew a Dreamliner Boeing 787-9 between Los Angeles and Melbourne.