A Garuda Indonesia Airbus A330 lands at Sultan Iskandar Muda International Airport in Blang Bintang, Aceh. (Photo: AFP) Jakarta (VNA) - Indonesia on October 27 conducted its first commercial flight usingpalm oil-blended jet fuel, as the world's biggest producer of the commodity pushesfor wider use of biofuels to cut fuel imports.
Operated by flagcarrier Garuda Indonesia, the Boeing 737-800NG aircraft carried more than 100passengers from the capital Jakarta to Surakarta city, which is about 550kilometres away, Garuda Indonesia CEO Irfan Setiaputra said, adding that the plane was set to return to Jakarta later on the day.
Earlier, Garuda conductedseveral tests including an engine ground test in August and a flight test on jetfuel mixed with palm oil in October.
The palm-oilblended jet fuel is produced by Indonesian state energy firm PT Pertamina atits Cilacap refinery, using hydro processed esters and fatty acid (HEFA)technology and is made of refined bleached deodorised palm kernel oil.
Indonesiais promoting wider use of palm-based fuels in an effort to reduce crude oilimports. In 2021, this Southeast Asian country conducted its first test flightwith a similar type of fuel on a plane made by Indonesia's Dirgantara./.