Historic biofuel flight in Britain

LONDON, Feb. 24 (UPI) -- Virgin Atlantic says it has made air transport history in Britain by completing the first flight by a commercial airline to be powered partly by biofuel.

The Virgin Atlantic jumbo jet -- carrying no passengers -- departed from London's Heathrow Airport and touched down in Amsterdam using fuel created from a mixture of Brazilian babassu nuts and coconuts, the BBC reported Sunday.

Virgin Chairman, President, and Chief Executive Officer Richard Branson said the flight marked a "vital breakthrough" for the airline industry.

"This pioneering flight will enable those of us who are serious about reducing our carbon emissions to go on developing the fuels of the future," he said.

Fully commercial biofuel flights are likely to use feedstocks such as algae rather than the mix used on the Virgin Atlantic flight, Branson said.