Ananova:

A passenger plane has successfully completed a two-hour test flight partly powered by vegetable oil.

One engine of the Boeing 747-400 was fuelled by a 50-50 mixture of jatropha plant oil and standard A1 jet fuel, reports the BBC.

A range of tests were completed both on the ground and during the flight, said Air New Zealand Chief Pilot David Morgan.

He said the oil from the plum-sized jatropha fruit performed "well through both the fuel system and engine".

Air New Zealand said it was the first time a second-generation biofuel had been used to partly power a passenger plane.

Chief Executive Rob Fyfe said the completion of the flight was "a milestone for the airline and commercial aviation".

Second-generation biofuels are said typically to use a wider range of plants and release fewer emissions than traditional biofuels such as ethanol.

The International Air Transport Association says it wants a 10th of aviation fuel to come from biofuels by 2017.