NZ jatropha flight succeeds
One engine of a Boeing 747-400 aeroplane was powered by a 50-50 blend of oil from jatropha plants and standard A1 jet fuel.
The flight was the first to use jatropha as part of a biofuel mix.
The test flight out of Auckland International Airport included a full-power takeoff and cruising to 35,000 feet where the crew manually set all four engine controls to check for identical performance readings among the biofuel-powered engine and those using jet fuel.
Pilots also switched off the fuel pump for the biofuel engine at 25,000 feet to test the lubricity of the fuel, ensuring its friction in the pipe did not slow its flow to the engine.
It will be at least 2013 before the company can ensure easy access to the large quantities of jatropha it would need to use the biofuel on all of its flights, Air New Zealand group manager Ed Sims says.
The airline bought the seeds from plantations in East Africa and India totalling 309,000 acres.
The company targets 10% of its flights will be partly powered by biofuels by 2013.
Most of those using the blend would be short haul domestic services.