Hybrid airliner to run on algae ENGINEERS are developing the first "hybrid" airliner propelled by a combination of electricity, biofuel made from algae, and wind. The aerospace giant EADS and the engine manufacturer Rolls-Royce have drawn up plans for a passenger aircraft that they claim would produce 75 per cent less carbon dioxide than a modern airliner. Its propulsion would work on a similar principle to the hybrid engine of a Toyota Prius.