The Virgin Boeing 747, which did not carry any passengers, operated using a 20% biofuel mix of coconut and babassu oil in one of its four main fuel tanks.
Virgin Group chairman, Sir Richard Branson, claimed the test was the first step towards using biofuels on commercial flights.
But The Independent reports anti-poverty group the World Development Movement's head of policy, Pete Hardstaff, dismissed the move as a ‘publicity stunt’.
'The concept of using bio-fuels and continuing the rate of expansion in the aviation industry is nonsensical,' the paper quoted him.
'If Richard Branson is serious about combating climate change, instead of experimenting with biofuels, he should be backing the campaign to include aviation in the targets to reduce emissions in the Climate Change Bill.'
Hardstaff's views were backed by Friends of the Earth aviation campaigner, Kenneth Richter, who told The Independent: ‘Biofuels are a major distraction in the fight against climate change. There is mounting evidence that the carbon savings from biofuels are negligible.'
See also:
Virgin jumbo to run on biofuel (14/01/2008)
Big order/green tie-up for Virgin and Boeing (25/04/2007)
Virgin pledges profits to fight climate change (22/09/2006)