Qatar: Natural Gas Powered Aircraft Maiden Journey

A London-Doha flight of Qatar Airways became the first commercial passenger aircraft to complete flying in six hours fuelled by natural gas. This milestone flight was the first step in making this alternative fuel available to airlines. The Airbus A340-600 aircraft powered by Rolls-Royce Trent 556 engines used an alternative of the blend of synthetic Gas to Liquids (GTL) kerosene and conventional oil-based kerosene fuel, developed by Shell. The fuel blend, known as GTL Jet Fuel, contributes to local air quality of airport as it burns with lower sulfur dioxide. Qatar is set to become the leading producer of GTL in the world once commercial production begins from 2012. Qatar's position as the GTL capital of the world has been further enhanced with this achievement. Commercial aviation is one of the exciting new markets for Qatar to help maximizing the value from their natural resources. Data from the GTL flight will be used by scientists in Qatar to further quantify GTL Jet Fuel use benefits.

Source: Economic Times, 13^th October 2009