British Airways has taken an environment-friendly decision as it unveiled
its partnership with US startup LanzaJet to produce jet fuel aimed at cutting
carbon emissions from 2022, AFP reported.

The announcement comes as the
global aviation industry is looking to bounce back from a collapse in demand
caused by the coronavirus pandemic grounding planes. British Airways took to Twitter to announce their partnership with LanzaJet.

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“Despite the crisis in global aviation, it is vital for our future
that we continue to address climate change and we remain focused on playing our
part to reduce the impact we have on the planet,” BA chief executive Sean
Doyle said in a statement.

British Airways, owned by aviation giant IAG, will invest an undisclosed
amount in LanzaJet in a bid to achieve its goal to become a net zero carbon
company by 2050.

“Progressing the development and commercial deployment of
sustainable aviation fuel is crucial to decarbonising the aviation industry and
this partnership with LanzaJet shows the progress British Airways is making as
we continue on our journey to net zero,” he added.

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The airline will purchase fuel from LanzaJet to “power a number of
the airline’s flights from late 2022”, BA said in the statement.

LanzaJet, spun off from US biotech firm LanzaTech last year, combines
gasoline with sustainably-sourced ethanol — mainly from agricultural processes
— to create cleaner aircraft fuel. On the other hand, current jet fuel, or
kerosene, is distilled from crude oil.

BA will join LanzaTech, Japan’s Mitsui and Canada’s Suncor Energy as
investors in LanzaJet, which is looking into the possibility of having a
bio-refinery built in the UK.