Air New Zealand said it was the first time a second-generation biofuel had been used to partly power a passenger plane. Air New Zealand Chief Executive Rob Fyfe said the completion of Tuesday's flight was "a milestone for the airline and commercial aviation".
To be sure, it's good public relations mileage, a la Sir Richard Branson style. But it's impractical reality to use productive farm land to fill up petrol tanks. And it's stupefying how a senior airline executive would make such simple minded proclamations.
