PowerSwitch

London-Qatar flight first-ever fueled by natural gas blend:
http://www.greenbang.com/london-qatar-f ... 12132.html
http://www.shell.com/home/content/media ... 02009.html

A Qatar Airways aircraft this week completed the world’s first commercial passenger flight powered by a fuel made from natural gas. The six-hour journey from London Gatwick to Doha, the capital of Qatar, was powered by a Shell-developed 50-50 blend of synthetic gas-to-liquids (GTL) kerosene and conventional oil-based kerosene fuel. Qatar expects to become the world’s leading producer of GTL kerosene with the start of commercial production in 2012.

Continues...........

What is the cost of gas to liquid kerosine?

Unless they can make it for less than $100/barrel they are wasting their time.

RGR and I discussed this possibility on another thread.

But as to the cost effectiveness: as ralph says, it's a foregone conclusion that the heyday of the airline industry is behind us.

At current prices, many people simply can't afford to fly, and if gas is going to be a partial substitute, demand will rise concurrently and price along with it so it's not likely that the days of cheap holidays are going to return.

I suspect that over the next decade, the average family will go from taking one foreign holiday a year to maybe two a decade, if that.

What is interesting is how the gap in the market will be filled?

Nuclear powered cruise ships?

I suspect that over the next decade, the average family will go from taking one foreign holiday a year to maybe two a decade, if that.

In this green and pleasant land there are many who could never afford a packet of crisps let alone a holiday.

yes, interesting how many people seem to see flights to far away lands as a right. And I would hazard a guess that they have not explored their own locale fully.

But hey, you must be under achieving if you cant get away twice a year.

maudibe wrote: get away

It's kind of a daft thing to want innit. I mean, get away from what? Why do you never find hols advertised as a "get to"?..