We've covered the ongoing development of solar-powered airplanes, which look almost space-age as they fly silently through the sky. But if sustainable aviation fuel is going to come from anywhere in the near future, it won't be from solar but from biofuel. Continental ran a biofuel-powered test flight last January out of Houston and flew around the Gulf of Mexico, and now Alaska Airlines is investigating whether biofuels can be used more broadly. The airline is teaming up with Boeing and Washington State University to run a pilot biofuel program across three Northwest airports.

PDX, SeaTac, and Spokane will see whether they can become part of their own little biofuel sub-industry, where nearby algae, agriculture, and wood byproducts are converted into something that can keep airplanes in the air. The details are a little sketchy but the idea—local, non-fossil fuel materials—seems pretty straightforward.

Just when Emirates shocks with orders for 32 new, giant A380s, making their total superjumbo order 90-strong, along comes the announcement from Virgin America that they've placed orders for forty new Airbus A320s, with the option for an additional twenty beyond that by 2018.

Okay, so nothing can really beat Emirates' splurge, but the Virgin America announcement is noteworthy in that it will triple the airline's fleet, and the new aircraft—to be delivered beginning in 2013—will feature the newish "sharklets," a larger and redesigned version of the American flag-painted winglets you'll currently find on the tips of the plane wings. Aside from reminding us of the awesome "Shark Week" on the Discovery Channel, sharklets mean fuel savings and increased eco-efficiency for VX's already pretty green-conscious fleet.

The Boeing 787 definitely stole the show at this year’s Farnborough Airshow, as the new plane made its first appearance outside the United States. Although the plane wasn’t on display for the public, those looking to spend some serious coin on orders for the new plane were welcome to step inside for a tour.

Things went well for Boeing, as they were able to pick up a few new orders. Royal Jordanian signed up for three of the new birds that will set them back roughly $500 million. Apparently the airline had been thinking about writing the big check for quite some time, but they kept their identity private. Royal Jordanian will look to operate a total of 11 787s through their purchases and leases, and they plan to utilize them on routes to New York, Chicago, Detroit, and Toronto.

Today, we add another bulletpoint to the timeline of the bad ideas of low-cost carrier Spirit Airlines:

July 2010: CEO Ben Baldanza testifies before Congress that bags are "not essential" for travel. This was part of his explanation for charging so many fees, as Congress takes Spirit to task for levying hidden fees. Baldanza's actualy quote:

Carrying more than one bag is not necessary for all travelers and we believe it is unfair to charge those customers for extra services they do not use—indeed, it is the basis for Spirit's policy to unbundle services not essential to passenger transport."

While this may be true for some, ABC News wisely notes that Spirit still charges to bring that one bag unless it fits underneath the seat, on an airline with the worst leg room in the first place.