The North American carrier announced the move in the wake of a recent test flight from the U.K.'s Virgin Atlantic.
Houston-based Continental Airlines (NYSE: CAL) said today it would conduct a biofuels demonstration flight in the first half of 2009.
The announcement comes less than three weeks after the U.K.'s Virgin Atlantic completed the world's first biofuel-powered test flight of a commercial aircraft (see Virgin takes off with commercial biofuel test flight).
"Exploring sustainable biofuels is a logical and exciting new step in our environmental commitment. For more than a decade, we have been focused on reducing fuel consumption and carbon emissions, while providing industry-leading service to the places our customers want to go," said Mark Moran, exec. VP of operations at Continental.
The airline is partnering up on its demonstration flight with Chicago airplane manufacturer Boeing (NYSE: BA) and Cincinnati-based engine maker GE Aviation, the same companies that worked with Virgin Atlantic.
Continental said the biofuel flight would use a Boeing 737 equipped with CFM International CFM56-7B engines.
CFM is a 50-50 joint venture company of General Electric (NYSE: GE) and Snecma, part of France's Safran group.
Continental said that in the months leading up to the flight, it would work together with Boeing, GE and an undisclosed fuel provider to identify sustainable fuel sources that don't impact food crops, water resources or contribute to deforestation.
Virgin used a 20 percent mix of coconut and babassu oil from Seattle's Imperium Renewables. The Virgin flight took off from London and landed in Amsterdam.
Continental said additional details on its test flight, including the flight plan, would be announced closer to the demonstration date.
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