Lufthansa has become the first airline to use biofuels on a scheduled fight. An aircraft Airbus A321 finished the flight lasting one hour ten minutes from Hamburg to Frankfurt using a 50-50 mix of traditional and alternative fuel.

The trial, which will last six months, will entail 1,200 flights. Should the programme be successful, the use of biofuel – in this case biosynthetic kerosene – will be extended to other routes.

Environmental lobby groups have been skeptical of the programme, arguing that aviation’s use of biofuels is less environmentally friendly than the aviation industry says.

The International Air Transport Association, which represents the world’s major airlines has said that biofuel will represent 10 percent of the total used by the industry by 2017.

It has also assured to cut the industry’s carbon footprint by improving energy efficiency and improved air traffic control which will cut the time aircraft spend in the air.

Thomson has said it will begin biofuel flights by the end of the month, whereas Virgin, Continental, JAL and Air NZ have also established programmes.

In the interim British Airways has entered a partnership with an American company, Solena, to turn household waste into jet fuel.

But the latest initiative by Lufthansa has failed to satisfy Robbie Blake, biofuels campaigner for Friends of the Earth Europe.