Thomson to operate UK’s first biokerosene flights

Thomson Airways will operate a flight between Birmingham and Palma using biokerosene fuel later this month, followed by weekly flights on the same route from September. Earlier this week Dutch carrier KLM made history by becoming the first airline in the world to operate a flight using biokerosene produced from used cooking oil (see online news June 29). This has now been followed by Thomson’s announcement, with the UK’s first biokerosene flight set to take place on July 28, once “stringent testing process has been completed and final safety clearance has been received”. The carrier then plans to operate weekly biokerosene flights for a period of one year, from Birmingham to Palma in the summer and Birmingham to Alicante in the winter, before expanding its use across the Thomson fleet “as sustainable biofuels become more commercially viable”. The fuel is being supplied by Dutch firm SkyNRG, the same company supplying KLM. Flights will operate on 50 per cent fuel produced from used cooking oil, and 50 per cent Jet A1 fuel. For more information visit thomson.co.uk. Report by Mark Caswell Business Traveller’s sister website seatplans.com has produced a comprehensive guide to flying with Thomson Airways, including working out which aircraft you will be travelling on, reserving seats, baggage allowance and useful links. To download this click here.