AMSTERDAM — Within a decade, passenger planes will be flying on jet fuel largely made from plants — flax, marsh grass and even food waste — as airlines seek to break away from the volatile oil market, aviation experts said yesterday.
Though biofuels are still in the experimental stage, the projected shift has stoked concern among environmentalists over possible destruction of tropical forests.
But aviation experts told a global biofuels conference the industry is focusing on fuels that cause minimal environmental destruction.
Biofuels are likely to be approved for commercial use by the end of this year by ASTM International, the organization that develops standards routinely adopted by American federal agencies.
“We have developed advanced biofuels that are safe and can be grown in a sustainable manner,” said Mark Rumizen, of the Federal Aviation Administration.