Indonesia launched its first commercial flight today, Friday, using a blend of palm oil in its jet fuel, as the world's largest palm oil producer seeks to expand the use of biofuels to reduce fuel imports. Garuda Indonesia's CEO, Irfan Setiaputra, stated that the Boeing 737-800 NG aircraft operated by the airline carried more than 100 passengers from the capital Jakarta to the city of Surakarta, approximately 550 kilometers away.
Irfan mentioned during the announcement ceremony that they will discuss further with Pertamina (the oil and gas company) and the Ministry of Energy, among others, to ensure that the price of this fuel is commercially reasonable, adding that the aircraft is scheduled to return to Jakarta later today. Garuda Indonesia conducted several tests, including flying with the new fuel earlier this month and an engine test on the ground in August.
Pertamina, the state-owned company in Indonesia, produces the palm oil blended jet fuel at one of its refineries, which is made from refined, bleached, and odorless palm kernel oil. The company claims that the fuel derived from palm oil emits lower amounts of greenhouse gases compared to fossil fuels and has called on its counterparts in palm oil-producing countries to include cooking oil as a raw material for producing sustainable aviation fuel.
