A 'Bio' Ride In the Sky Finding Fuel Solutions For 30,000 Feet
You're flying comfortably at 30,000 feet, but you may not have
noticed a significant problem with your airplane. Your plane is
safe and comfortable, and no oxygen masks have deployed. Your
seat is in its upright position, you can turn on your electrical
devices, and your bags are stowed carefully under the seat in
front of you. The real problem is your fuel. Specifically, your
cross-country flight is totally dependent on the use of several
thousand gallons of petroleum-based jet fuel made from mostly
imported oil—a problem if prices rise or if supplies run low. A
look at the Numbers In 2011, jet fuel was the biggest expense
for airlines—at one third of their total expenses, and jet fuel
prices increased by 47 percent in the past year. While fuel
costs are a problem for commercial airlines, they are also of
concern for the U.S. government, with almost half of its total
energy used for jet fuel. "The airline industry as a whole is
very interested in