Alaska Airlines inaugurated biofuel-powered passenger service this afternoon with two flights from Seattle to Washington, D.C., and Portland, Ore. Alaska and its sister carrier, Horizon Air, are operating 75 select flights between Seattle and the two cities over the next few weeks using a 20 percent blend of sustainable biofuel made from used cooking oil.
Alaska Air Group estimates the 20% certified biofuel blend it is using for the 75 flights will reduce greenhouse gas emissions by an estimated 10 percent—the equivalent of taking 26 cars off the road for a year. If the company powered all of its flights with a 20% biofuel blend for one year, the annual emissions savings would represent the equivalent of taking nearly 64,000 cars off the road or providing electricity to 28,000 homes.
