SCHIPHOL, NETHERLANDS — KLM Royal Dutch Airlines said on March 8 that it operate its first-ever series of biofuel-powered intercontinental flights in partnership with Schiphol Group, Delta Air Lines and the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey.

KLM will offer weekly flights from John F. Kennedy Airport in New York, U.S., to Schiphol, Netherlands using sustainable biofuel. Flight KL642 is operated by a Boeing 777-200 every Thursday. The sustainable fuel is obtained from used cooking oil.

This is the result of a joint effort and expanded cooperation between KLM, Schiphol Group, Delta Air Lines, the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey and by contributions of KLM’s partners in the corporate biofuel program. Cooperation is a priority for the future of sustainable biofuel in the aviation industry. By this initiative KLM demonstrates that sustainable biofuel in the airline industry is here to stay, the company said.

In June 2012, KLM’s longest biofuel flight ever travelled from Amsterdam to Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. The flights to New York are the next step.

KLM has been working with the World Wide Fund for Nature the Netherlands (WWF-NL) since 2007. The cooperation aims to stimulate a more sustainable airline industry by reducing CO2 emissions, increasing fuel efficiency, and investing in innovations such as sustainable biofuel.

Last year KLM launched the world’s first biofuel proposition for contracted corporate accounts. This will allow them to fly on sustainable biofuel for a portion of their total flight volume, or on specific routes, thereby stimulating the further development of biofuels and reducing the aviation industry’s carbon footprint. The number of partners in the program has more than doubled to 15. Since this year it includes the City of Amsterdam, Loyens & Loeff, PGGM, FMO, Delta Air Lines, Siemens, TomTom and CBRE Global Investors. They follow initial customers such as Ahold, Accenture, DSM, Heineken, Nike, Philips and Schiphol Group who have been supporting KLM’s BioFuel program since June 2012.

KLM’s biofuel is supplied by SkyNRG, a company which KLM founded in 2009 together with ARGOS (North Sea Petroleum) and Spring Associates. SkyNRG is now the world’s market leader for sustainable kerosene, supplying more than 15 carriers worldwide and the operating partner in the KLM’s biofuel program. For the JFK International Airport to Schiphol Amsterdam Airport route, SkyNRG is supported by its longstanding U.S. partner EPIC Aviation LLC to distribute the fuel.