Feb. 4, 2008 - Airbus has become the first airplane manufacturer to flight-test a synthetic liquid fuel processed from natural gas. Airbus tested the alternative fuel in its most fuel-efficient airliner, the A380, in a three-hour flight from Britain to France over the weekend.

The flight marks the first step in a long-term Airbus testing phase to evaluate viable and sustainable alternative fuels such as gas-to-liquid, or GTL. More efficient and cleaner-burning, GTL can be made from a range of materials, from natural gas to organic plant matter.

The GTL test helps pave the way for future testing of second-generation biofuels, according to Airbus. The company says it will study second-generation biofuels as soon as they are available in quantities sufficient for commercial use.

"Our alternative fuels roadmap requires innovation, diversity of ideas, and options that need to be explored," says Airbus CEO Tom Enders. ƒ‚¢ƒÂ¢¢â‚¬Å¡‚¬ƒâ€¦¢â‚¬Å“This takes bold cross-industry and cross-border collaboration and that's what we are showing today with our groundbreaking first test flight with alternative fuels. It is part and parcel of Airbus' commitment to providing leadership as an eco-efficient enterprise.ƒ‚¢ƒÂ¢¢â‚¬Å¡‚¬ƒâ€š‚

The Airbus tests are running as part of an agreement signed last November with Qatar Airways, Qatar Petroleum, Qatar Fuels, Qatar Science & Technology Park, Rolls Royce, and Shell International Petroleum Company to research the potential benefits of synthetic jet fuel processed from gas.