Airline LAN Colombia on Wednesday carried out the South American country’s first biofuel-powered commercial flight, opening a new chapter in its bid to cut greenhouse gas emissions.
The flight, which took some 170 passengers from the capital to Cali, a city in southwestern Colombia, was a “milestone,” said Ignacio Cueto, CEO of LAN Airlines, the parent company of LAN Colombia.
“LAN aims to develop sustainable biofuels for commercial flights that have high potential … in South America, and this is undoubtedly another significant sign for the industry’s future,” Cueto said.
“The renewable energy sources play a significant role in global aviation and will increasingly mark the decision-making in the sector, and in our company,” the LAN chief added.
The Bogota-Cali route, said Cueto, was specifically chosen in recognition of Cali’s role in pioneering biofuels production.
LAN Airlines, based in the Chilean capital of Santiago, opened its first biofuel-powered flight in March 2012, which flies between Santiago and Concepcion, another Chilean city.
