GLOBAL major air carriers, facing mounting pressure from soaring crude oil prices, have been seeking measures to boost fuel efficiency as they also try to cater to public demand for better environment protection.

Major airlines are readying for the day when aircraft engines boast low fuel consumption, when they use biofuels to cut emission of carbon dioxide and they invite passengers to donate money for "green energy" programs.

"Rising fuel costs will serve as another key reason for airlines to reduce fuel consumption in additional to improving the environment," said Jean-Cyril Spinetta, chairman and CEO of Air France. "We have made progress in the past few years but still there's more to do."

Spinetta, speaking at Air France's conference on plans to enhance environment protection held in Paris in mid June, noted that the air transport industry's contribution to CO2 emissions, although relatively low now, could grow in the coming years.

The drivers include growing demand for air transport due to increasing economic and social mobility as well as concerns over the lack of an energy substitute for fuel in the industry in the medium term, according to Spinetta.

The modernization of the Air France fleet has led to a 12-percent reduction in fuel consumption per passenger between 2000 and 2006, according to Spinetta, who added that more progress is expected with the arrival of new generation aircraft including the Airbus A380.

Passengers involved

Compared with 2006's average consumption per passenger of 3.95 liters per 100 kilometers, Air France hopes to bring consumption down to 3.7 liters in 2012, Spinetta said.

The renewal of its fleet will involve a combined investment of US$14 billion between 1998 and 2012, he said. During the last five years, 85 new aircraft joined the fleet while 76 were phased out as the carrier invested 4 billion euros (US$6.3 billion).

"We don't want to make any assumption or bets on the declines of crude prices," Spinetta said. "We are seeking ways to reap profits under the scenario of high oil costs and one of the key methods is to cut the fuel consumption of aircraft."

Instead of working alone to improve the global environment, airlines including Air France have launched programs to let passengers offset their CO2 emissions by contributing to a project that saves the same quantity.

Air France has launched a program to finance a campaign against deforestation in Madagascar with nongovernment organization Goodplanet as part of efforts to fight climate change.

Virgin Atlantic, a pioneer in environment protection, conducted the world's first commercial aircraft flight powered with biofuels earlier this year.

The UK carrier's goal for the London-to-Netherlands flight was to show that biofuels will produce less carbon dioxide than normal jet fuels, and that airlines could one day use biofuels to help reduce damage to the environment.

Emissions are expected to be cut by as much as 50 percent compared with traditional fuel.

Fly greener program

Both coconut and babassu oil can be found in such cosmetic products as lip balm and shaving cream, and do not compete with staple food sources.

"We didn't have answers yet about how to produce the fuel in quantity, but it's important that we can have it done, and the challenge now is whether the second-generation biofuels can be done," said Steve Ridgway, chief executive officer of the UK-based carrier.

"Virgin is clear that it mustn't cut down rainforests, destabilize food crop prices and affect precious water resources to achieve the goal," he told Shanghai Daily.

Cathay Pacific Airways and Dragonair already launched carbon offset "fly greener" program.

The project included an investment in two wind power farms in Shanghai's Nanhui District and Chongming County. The power generated by the high-capacity turbines at the wind farms is being fed into the Shanghai power grid.

Wind farms don't produce the greenhouse gas carbon dioxide in the process of generating energy, nor do they produce the array of other pollutants that coal-burning does, such as nitrogen oxides, sulphur dioxide, particulates and mercury.

The two carriers also invite passengers to make a cash contribution to offset the emissions of their flight, based on length of their journeys and cabin class.