British Airways, UK’s airline giant, has partnered up with Rolls-Royce in order to begin trials for using biofuels in its jets. The original outline of this project is to test out various fuels, made from various plants, and find the best solution.

Jonathan Counsell, the manager of the environment section at British Airways, said that the company will use one of its largest jets for testing, and that they will use the facilities of Rolls-Royce. “The tests that have been done so far are just short flights, but we are looking at this long-term and plan to test the engine over larger periods of time and in all situations,” said Counsell. The project is due to be completed in late 2010.

Many airline companies are directing their future towards biofuels. Huge companies like Virgin or KLM have advanced the most so far, as some of their planes already flew being powered by biofuels. If they would switch to biofuels completely, not only they would protect the environment, but they would significantly cut the amount of money they now pay for fuel.