Air France’s maiden transatlantic biofuel flight is expected to begin in Montreal

An Air France plane that was partly powered by used cooking oil was expected to arrive in Montreal on Tuesday afternoon.

Air France Flight 342, operated by the Airbus 350, carried 16% of the biofuel in its tanks on this historic first flight, which promised to avoid the emission of about 20 tons of carbon dioxide during the duration of the flight.

This demo marks another step for Air France, which aims to reduce greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions by 50% less than those that occurred in 2005 by 2030.

In this case, the biofuel used for Tuesday’s trip was produced by the French group Total.

“The aircraft was provided with fuel by the first 100% electric refueling truck, developed in France with the expertise of Total, and all runway vehicles used by Air France were fully refueled by air,” the statement said. Transporter.

For its part, the Airbus 350 consumes 25% less fuel than the plane it replaces on Air France.

“France’s KLM Airlines Group has long been committed to reducing its environmental impact. Sustainable aviation fuel, with the renewal of our fleet, is the main lever that can be reached in the medium term to halve carbon dioxide emissions per passenger / km by 2030.” The company’s CEO, Benjamin Smith, also commented.

Montreal’s selection for this first trip isn’t trivial either. The capital is one of the main overseas stops for Air France, as well as hosting the headquarters of the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO).

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