China lauds environmental milestone with first biofuel passenger flight

Boeing, Hainan Airlines and Sinopec have celebrated China's first passenger flight with sustainable aviation biofuel, a key environmental milestone for China's commercial aviation industry.

The regularly scheduled Hainan Airlines flight - which carried more than 100 passengers from Shanghai to Beijing in a Next-Generation 737-800 - used biofuel made by Sinopec from waste cooking oil collected from restaurants in China. Both of the airplane's CFM International CFM56-7B engines were powered by a fuel blend of approximately 50 percent aviation biofuel mixed with conventional petroleum jet fuel.

"As a fast-growing domestic and international carrier, Hainan Airlines is demonstrating our environmental commitment by showing that aviation biofuel can play a safe and effective role in China's air transport system," said Pu Ming, vice president of Hainan Airlines, who piloted the plane.

Sustainably produced biofuel, which reduces carbon emissions by 50% to 80% compared to petroleum through its lifecycle, is expected to play a key role in supporting aviation's growth while meeting environmental goals. The Boeing Current Market Outlook has forecast that China will require 6,020 new airplanes by 2033 to meet fast-growing passenger demand for domestic and international air travel.