Kingfisher Airlines has tied-up with Anna University to carry out joint research in order to cut down carbon emissions and introduce bio-fuel.
This is the first time an airline has signed an MoU with a university for research. Under the four-year agreement, a joint research for `aircraft emission optimisation and forecasting module' will be carried out.
"This is a multi-disciplinary project. Faculty and research students can work in this project," Anna University vice-chancellor Mannar Jawahar said.
"Airlines do individual research to develop methods to cut carbon emissions. So we are collaborating with the university to develop systems that will help us use bio-fuel for ground vehicles and also for aircraft," Kingfisher executive vice-president Hitesh Patel.
The airline has a two-phase green programme aimed at cutting down carbon emissions. "We will be using bio-fuel to power ground-handling vehicles in the first phase. In the second phase, we will be flying aircraft using bio-fuel. Airlines in India have not experimented with bio-fuel so far though a couple of airlines abroad have done," Patel added.
However, Kingfisher has not set a time frame to start using bio-fuel for its aircraft. But ground vehicles will be using the fuel in six months
KLM Royal Dutch Airlines, Continental Airlines, Virgin Atlantic, Qatar Airways and Emirates are among some of the airlines that have experimented with bio-fuel.
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