Oct 27 (NHK) - One Japanese airline is taking on additional costs to reduce its carbon footprint, despite the coronavirus crisis. All Nippon Airways is planning to begin flights soon using bio jet fuel derived from animal fat.
A company in Finland will supply the fuel, made with leftover fat from meat processing. It will cut CO2 emissions by about 90 percent compared to conventional jet fuel, including the production stage.
ANA plans to start using the biofuel from next month. It will be the first passenger service in Japan that does not operate on fuel derived from crude oil.
An ANA procurement official, Yoshikawa Kohei said, "Despite the severe business climate, we're taking a long-term perspective by trying to source alternative fuels globally."
The additional cost will be tough for the pandemic-hit carrier. Parent ANA Holdings is expected to post a loss of around 4.7 billion dollars for the current business year, but the airline says it needs to adapt rapidly to tougher environmental regulations introduced around the world.
