The Van Nuys Airport recently became the first general aviation airport in the U.S. to test sustainable alternative jet fuel (SAJF) for business travel.  It’s one of the busiest airports of its kind inf the world and Signature Flight Support is its largest fixed-base operator.

“We can handle up to 100 flights a day,” said General Manager Niall Mulcahy.

Many of those jets put out a lot of carbon dioxide into the atmosphere, but there’s a renewed push through the National Air Transportation Association and business aviation community to change that.

“We all have a collective responsibility to reduce our carbon footprint,” Mulcahy said.

Imagine flying on a plane fueled by biomass— which includes materials like wood waste, seeds, and other food waste.  The Van Nuys airport recently partnered with industry professionals to try it out.  One of three planes demonstrating the biomass concept was the Bombardier Challenger 350.  It’s a $26 million business jet, not including the fuel.  This particular flight was running on inedible corn.

“Not only does it burn cleaner when it’s actually flying in the air, but the things that go into making it actually offer a net reduction in CO2 emissions throughout their life cycle,” said Bombardier Spokesperson Dominique Cristall.

That could ultimately, lead to cleaner air around the airport and beyond.

Alternative fuel makers say it’s just as safe as standard jet fuel and doesn’t affect the plane’s performance.  Van Nuys was the first of its kind to offer this biofuel on a trial basis.

“They’re really setting the bar in communicating to other airports that this is possible,” Cristall said.

With more than 20,000 business jets in the skies, the hope is to raise awareness of the fuel—increasing demand and pushing alternative jet fuel makers to boost production, making it more affordable nationwide.

“We’re looking forward to seeing it produced at a level that’s much more economical,” Mulcahy said.

Until then, most business jets will continue to run on standard jet fuel, but for Niall, no matter what’s inside the plane…

“I’ve always had a passion for aviation, so any opportunity to get close to airplanes is a great opportunity.”

It’s a commitment to helping the environment while fueling the future of aviation.