Aircraft maker Boeing said Friday it seeks to fly a biofuel-powered jet plane in New Zealand in the second half of 2008.
The effort, in collaboration with Air New Zealand and engine maker Rolls Royce, is part of Boeing's research to determine what biofuels are suitable for the environmentally-challenging, jet fuel-hungry airline industry.
The company is planning a similar demonstration in collaboration with Virgin Atlantic and GE.
Boeing is testing fuels from several makers; these alternatives use feedstocks ranging from algae to soy beans to oil from the babassu palm.