Gregory Polek has spent his entire career in aviation journalism with AIN, starting as a proofreader and assistant to then-managing editor Mary Mahoney in 1995 after serving an internship with&nbsp;New Jersey Monthly&nbsp;magazine and completing his B.A. degree in English/Writing at New Jersey’s William Paterson College. By 1997 Polek accepted a position as an associate editor, covering the regional airline beat for&nbsp;Aviation International News&nbsp;in place of retiring industry veteran Don Anderson. The assignment took Polek across North America and Europe to profile regional airlines varying in size and mission from the likes of floatplane operators Kenmore Air and Chalk’s Ocean Airways to regional jet operators such as SkyWest and American Eagle. Today, in his dual role as Air Transport Editor and International Airshow Editor, Polek writes, edits, and manages AIN’s commercial aviation content while overseeing each of the company’s daily international air show publications in Paris, Farnborough, Singapore, and Dubai. Most recently Polek has assumed oversight of daily coverage of the Helicopter Association International’s annual Heli-Expo convention.

Senior Editor

Gregory Polek

The Port of Seattle, Alaska Airlines and Boeing on Wednesday signed a memorandum of understanding to launch a $250,000 study to assess the feasibility a blend of biofuel and conventional fuel to aircraft at Seattle-Tacoma International Airport. The partners have set a goal of powering all flights with biofuel at Sea-Tac, the first U.S. airport to draft a long-term roadmap to incorporate aviation biofuel into its infrastructure.

 


“This will send a signal to airlines and biofuel producers that Sea-Tac Airport will be ready to integrate commercial-scale use of aviation biofuels,” said Port of Seattle Commissioner John Creighton. “Biofuel infrastructure will make Sea-Tac Airport an attractive option for any airline committing to use biofuel, and will assist in attracting biofuel producers to the region as part of a longer-term market development strategy.” &nbsp;

 


Longer term plans call for the use of “significant” quantities of biofuel at Sea-Tac’s fuel farm, which now serves all 26 airlines and more than 380,000 flights annually at the airport. Sea-Tac ranks as the 13th busiest airport in the U.S. and expects to serve more than 42 million passengers this year.

 


Alaska Airlines, Sea-Tac’s largest carrier and leader of the airport’s fueling consortium, wants to incorporate biofuel into flight operations at one or more of its hubs by 2020. It has identified Sea-Tac as its first choice. The Port of Seattle’s Century Agenda Goal calls for a reduction in aircraft-related carbon emissions at Sea-Tac Airport by 25 percent by 2037, largely through the use of biofuel.&nbsp;

 


“Biofuel offers the greatest way to further reduce our emissions," said Joe Sprague, Alaska Airlines’ senior vice president of communications and external relations. “This study is a critical step in advancing our environmental goals and stimulating aviation biofuel production in the Pacific Northwest.”

 


Under the terms of the MOU, the Port of Seattle will manage the $250,000 study and, as Sea-Tac’s governing authority, would handle the engineering and integration of biofuel infrastructure on Port property such as the airport’s fuel farm. The partners plan to issue an RFP for the infrastructure study in the spring, in time for expected completion in late 2016. No energy company produces aviation biofuels in Washington state, requiring its importation by truck, rail or barge.&nbsp;

 


Boeing’s role centers on lending expertise about approaches to develop a regional biofuel supply chain to serve the airport, including fuel types, fuel producers, processing technologies and integration with airplanes.

 


Using biofuel as a “drop-in” fuel in airplanes reduces lifecycle carbon dioxide emissions by 50 to 80 percent compared to conventional petroleum fuel, according to the U.S. Department of Energy. Since 2011, when biofuel won approval for use in commercial aviation, airlines have conducted more than 2,000 passenger flights with a blend of biofuel and conventional petroleum jet fuel. That same year Alaska Airlines became the first airline to fly multiple flights using a 20 percent blend of biofuel made from used cooking oil and waste animal fat.

 


In the next year, Alaska plans to partner with Englewood, Colorado-based Gevo, Inc., to fly the first commercial flight on alcohol-to-jet fuel. Also, as a partner in the Washington State University-led Northwest Advanced Renewable Alliance (NARA), the airline plans to fly a demonstration flight next year using a new aviation biofuel made from forest-industry waste.

News about commercial airlines, including regulations, aircraft orders, safety, acquisitions, and mergers.

Partners Plan for Large-Scale Biofuel Delivery in Seattle   

Seattle-Tacoma International Airport aims to cut aircraft carbon emissions by 25 percent by 2037

2024 Corporate Aviation Leadership Summit

Hanneke Weitering

News and developments about airplanes, helicopters and unmanned air vehicles used in all varieties of operations, including airlines, military, business, commercial, general aviation and private.

News and issues regarding all manner of civil and military rotorcraft and their powerplants, including helicopters, tilt rotors and unmanned air vehicles.

Archer plans demo flight at 2025 World Expo in Osaka

JAL/Sumitomo Subsidiary Soracle To Operate Archer’s eVTOL in Japan

Charles Alcock

New developments at airports including regulations and noise issues; legal disputes; openings, acquisitions and mergers.

Britain's new government is under pressure to invest in public infrastructure

How Regional Air Mobility Could Boost the UK's Strained Transport Network

News about environmental issues relating to aircraft operations, including noise issues, emissisions, and regulations. See Fuel for biofuel.

Danish charter and scheduled operator could buy up to 15 of the electric seaplanes

Nordic Seaplanes Signs for Elfly's Noemi Electric Amphibious Aircraft

Odys' blown-wing design is being developed for both uncrewed freighter and piloted airliner roles

Fiji Airways Plans To Connect Pacific Islands with Laila VTOL

Scotland-based regional airline aims to achieve zero carbon emissions

Loganair and Heart Team To Decarbonize UK Domestic Flights

UK green start-up airline wants to operate domestic services with zero carbon emissions

Ecojet Plans To Operate Arc Aerosystems' Linx P9 Hybrid Helicopter

Cathy Buyck

News and issues relating to international air transport and cargo carriers, national airlines and regional airlines, including aircraft, engines, personnel, acquisitions, accidents, safety, security and training.

The Boeing electronic flight bag solution will support the low-cost carrier’s 737NG and Max fleet

Ryanair to Use Jeppesen FliteDeck Pro 5.0 EFB 

News and developments about aircraft engines, including turbofan, turboprop, turboshaft and piston.

More In Airlines