Alaska Airlines has partnered with Washington State University-led Northwest Advanced Renewables Alliance (Nara) in the US to accelerate use of alternative jet fuels.

The partners will collaborate to develop fuel using post-harvest forest residuals as the feedstock of a bio-jet fuel supply chain.

The carrier plans to fly a demonstration flight in 2016 using 1,000gal of alternative bio-fuel being produced by Nara and partners.

The planned flight is part of an effort to make use of a viable alternative to conventional fossil fuel.

"Developing alternative jet fuel made from forest residuals represents a significant economic challenge with considerable sustainability benefits."

Alaska Airlines external relations senior vice-president Joe Sprague said: "Sustainable bio-fuels are a key to aviation’s future and critical in helping the industry and Alaska Airlines reduce its carbon footprint and dependency on fossil fuels."

Supported by the US Department of Agriculture, National Institute of Food and Agriculture, Nara is a five-year project comprising 22 member organisations from industry, academia and government laboratories.

The programme aims to support bio-jet and bio-product industries in the Pacific Northwest using forest residuals.

Nara co-director Michael Wolcott said: "Developing alternative jet fuel made from forest residuals represents a significant economic challenge with considerable sustainability benefits.

"Nara efforts to engage stakeholders from forest managers to potential fuel users like Alaska Airlines to lay the foundations for a bio-based, renewable fuel economy is exciting work that we believe will benefit society in the years ahead."

In 2011, Alaska Airlines conducted commercial passenger flights using a bio-fuel produced from used cooking oil. It is the first airline to do so.