Indonesia"s Garuda conducts test flight with palm oil-blended jet fuel, Source: garuda-indonesia.com

Jakarta - Indonesia's flag carrier Garuda Indonesia said on October 10 that it has completed a test flight using a palm oil-blended jet fuel on a Boeing 737-800NG aircraft.

Garuda Chief Executive Irfan Setiaputra said the plane flew more than 130 km from the capital Jakarta to Pelabuhan Ratu in the southern part of Java island in a one-hour return flight last week, using jet fuel containing 2.4 per cent palm content.

He noted that with these results, Garuda Indonesia is ready to explore the use of sustainable aviation fuel on commercial flights and added that a wider use of the fuel would be based on a comprehensive study.

Prior to the test flight, Garuda had conducted a static test and engine ground tests since July, 2023.

As the world's biggest palm oil producer, Indonesia has been pushing for wider use of edible oils and a reduction in crude oil imports.

In 2021, the country ran a test flight with the same fuel on an aircraft made by state-owned Dirgantara Indonesia, flying from the city Bandung in West Java to the capital Jakarta.