Nature Air Gets Green Light
to Sell Biofuel
Costa Rica's regional airline NatureAir has entered talks with the
government for permission to sell biodiesel fuel to other companies.
Despite the fact that its fleet of six de Havilland Canada Twin
Otter turboprops runs on jet-A, serving 17 destinations in Costa
Rica and Panama, NatureAir calls itself the world’s first
carbon-neutral airline.
The company did, however, open the country’s first alternative
fueling station last June to fuel its own diesel-powered ground
equipment.
Its wholly owned fueling company, called Aerotica, produces
biodiesel from a mixture of recycled vegetable and cooking oils,
most of it collected from the airline’s employees.
The company claims to be the first airline in Central America to run
its entire ground operations equipment and fleet of diesel vehicles
on the biodegradable fuel. It estimates that use of the biofuel cuts
its annual consumption of fossil fuels by 49,256 gallons.
According to NatureAir, every gallon of cooking oil flushed down
drains pollutes nearly a million gallons of Costa Rican river water.
NatureAir has operated under its current name and ownership since
2000. It flies scheduled service and on-demand charter operations. |
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