Alaska Air Group signed an agreement with Gevo because of the promise of its alcohol-based fuel technology. Alaska already has done several biofuel demonstration flights, but says this will be its first-ever commercial flight using so-called alcohol-to-jet fuel. The Gevo process turns a range of plant products into an alcohol called iosobutonal, from which the company can then make jet fuel.

Alaska will be the first to use a significant amount of fuel derived from this process.