Qatar Airways To Be World's First Airline To Fuel Jets With Natural Gas

Qatar Airways plans to become the first airline in the world to fuel its aircraft with natural gas, the company's chief executive said in an interview yesterday.

Akbar Al Baker said the state-owned airline was talking to oil giant Royal Dutch Shell Plc and engine manufacturers about using a form of diesel made from natural gas, known as GTL, or Gas-to-Liquids fuel, in its planes.

“We are talking to Shell and as soon as the engine manufacturers have certified their engines to be used with GTL, Qatar Airways will be the first airline to fuel its airplanes with GTL,” Al Baker said.

"I was told they would get certification by the end of the year," he added.

Qatar has the world’s third-largest gas reserves and is keen to develop the use of GTL.

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