Biofuel-powered commercial flight debuts in Colombia

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.