UOP's process technology was also used to produce jet fuel used in previous test flights conducted in the US, Japan and New Zealand. Test results from earlier demonstration flights showed that green jet fuel produced using UOP's process technology performs as well, if not better, than jet fuel made from petroleum.

Jennifer Holmgren, vice president and general manager of UOP's Renewable Energy and Chemicals business unit, said: "Biofuels provide an important option to meeting the rapid growth in energy demand, while effectively balancing social and environmental needs. KLM shares a vision with UOP and others that green jet fuel can help meet the airline industry's goals of reducing greenhouse gas emissions."

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For the first half of financial year 2009-10, Air France-KLM has reported a net loss of E573 million, compared to a net income of E176 million in the first half of financial year 2008-09.

Total revenues for the first half of financial year 2009-10 were E10.77 billion, a decrease of 19.9%, compared to E13.44 billion in the same period of financial year 2008-09.

Pierre-Henri Gourgeon, CEO of the company, said: "Since the start of the crisis we have responded quickly and we are adapting more rapidly than expected to the environment. We have sharply reduced our capacity in both passenger and cargo. At the same time we have reduced our costs."

Mr Gourgeon has also said that the company is stabilizing activity levels, and therefore reducing headcount within the group. The company is proposing a voluntary redundancy program at Air France involving 1,700 jobs, which will be effective in 2010.

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Raw passenger numbers dropped to 6.3 million in October, down 5.3 percent compared with the same period last year.

Over the first 10 months this year, the airlines' busiest month was July, with 6.9 million passengers carried, and the quietest was February, with 4.8 million.

The company also saw a 19.1 percent decline in cargo business in October, even worse than the 17.2 percent loss in September.

Since the breakout of the global financial crisis last year, the worldwide civil and freight aviation traffic market has suffered decreased demand.

The civil aviation market would see a decline of 3 percent, while the freight market would witness a drop of 5 percent for the year, according to a previous estimation by the United States-based International Civil Aviation Organization.