BA plans 2022 test with US sustainable-fuel maker

BA is partnering with LanzaJet for sustainable aviation fuel as part of the carrier’s plans to decarbonize by 2050, amid rising pressure on the aviation industry to cut emissions. The US startup will supply ethanol-derived fuel from its Freedom Pines Fuels facility in Georgia, and BA will use it to power some flights starting in late 2022, the companies said Tuesday. As part of the collaboration, BA will invest in LanzaJet and the startup will conduct early-stage planning to set up a larger biofuel facility in the UK. Aircraft manufacturers and airlines face growing public pressure over their emissions, which added more than 1b metric tons of carbon dioxide to the atmosphere in 2019, according to BloombergNEF. Airbus has said it will develop a range of hydrogen-powered aircraft that could reach the skies by 2035, and Boeing has set a target of designing and certifying its jetliners to fly on 100% sustainable fuels by 2030. BA and LanzaJet didn’t provide financial details of their agreement. The airline’s parent, IAG, has said it plans to invest $400m in the development of sustainable aviation fuel over the next 20 years as part of a plan to achieve zero net emissions by 2050. BA is also developing a sustainable fuel plant in the UK with Velocys that could begin producing jet fuel from 2025.<br/>