FLYING TO NET ZERO

2
 FLYING TO NET ZERO

CONTENTS
A view from the inside 04 JetBlue 30

Etihad Airways 06 Saudia 36

Ryanair 10 Avianca 42

easyJet 16 Alaska Airlines 46

Aeroméxico 20 SriLankan Airlines 52

British Airways 24

3
FLYING TO NET ZERO
A VIEW FROM THE INSIDE:
How airlines are thinking about sustainability
A s the world hurtles towards a climate
crisis, the need to decarbonise quickly
and effectively has taken centre stage.
Travel – specifically aviation – is in the
crosshairs for its outsize contribution to
global CO2 emissions. While the industry
might argue that it accounts for “only
about 3%” of emissions, context is key:
1% of the world’s population accounts
for more than half of flying emissions. As
a result, climate activists have grown ever
more vociferous in their opposition to flying
in general: from flight-shaming campaigns
to complaints about greenwashing
to gluing hands to the runway and
protesting at airports.
The good news, however, is that the
industry recognises the need for swift
course correction. The aviation industry
has adopted the goal of reaching net-zero
carbon emissions by 2050. In October,
the UN’s International Civil Aviation
Organization (ICAO) led two weeks of
negotiations involving 184 nations to agree
on CO2 emissions reduction measures.
These include ramping up innovative
aircraft technologies, “streamlining” flight
operations and the increased production
and use of sustainable aviation fuels (SAF).
(See more in this World Economic Forum
overview.)
4
While there is reason for optimism, there
are certain tough pills one must swallow.
Progress, in aviation specifically, is likely
to be slow and laboured. Due to its sheer
nature (no easy electric replacements such
as in the automotive or rail industries),
aviation will chart a complex path to
decarbonisation. In recognition of this
complexity, we spoke to leaders from ten
very different airlines to understand how
they are moving towards the 2050 net-zero
target. Our special report illuminates the
various pathways to sustainability these
airlines are adopting.
Overall, there are five thematic issues that
almost all airlines accept and recognise.
First, they admit that the challenge
is much tougher than in almost every
other industry since the only effective
solution is likely to be a new kind of
emission-less plane that might be
decades away.
Second, they recognise Sustainable
Aviation Fuels (SAF) as the likely
saviour. Almost all airlines want more
of it. However, supply and price appear
to be insurmountable challenges in the
near future.
Third, while airlines may be at different
stages of their sustainability journey,

they understand that – for once – going
green is not merely a competitive
differentiator but a societal good that
the industry must cooperate towards.
Fourth, economic viability will remain a
major concern (see the issues with SAF,
for example). If it comes to a choice
between reducing carbon emissions at
a high cost and staying afloat, airlines
will understandably choose the latter.
This should neither surprise nor irk
anyone. Hundreds of thousands of
livelihoods depend on the industry. It
cannot be shut down or wished away.
Rapid technological investment and
large-scale cooperation is the only way
forward.
FLYING TO NET ZERO
Fifth, airlines are awakening to the
reality that sustainability efforts,
knowledge and consciousness
must permeate through the entire
organisation. The right momentum for
change arises when there is complete
buy-in and support at all tiers of the
company.
We are also delighted that so many women
are leading airline sustainability efforts. In
fact, six of the ten leaders we interviewed
are women with deep experience in and
passion for sustainability.
We hope you enjoy this deep dive into
various sustainability strategies, straight
from the leaders who are bringing in
change.
Shubhodeep Pal
Chief Operating Officer
SimpliFlying
5
FLYING TO NET ZERO

One of our executives once said, “the greatest

challenge to sustainability is to sustain interest”.
I would also add “interest and funding”.
Pro-sustainability options are often more expensive
than other options and do not necessarily have a
monetary return on investment.
Mariam Musallam AlQubaisi
Head of Sustainability & Business Excellence at Etihad Airways

6
ETIHAD AIRWAYS
SUSTAINABILITY OVERVIEW
Etihad Airways is serious about sustainability and wants the world to know. Over the last
couple of years, Etihad has taken the task of going green with sincerity, exploring new
technologies and future paradigms of net-zero flying.
For example, in October 2021, Etihad ran a test flight (EY20) from London Heathrow to
Abu Dhabi with 72% reduced carbon emissions, compared to an equivalent 2019 flight.
In 2022, the airline went even further. In October, they operated a flight from Tokyo
to Abu Dhabi using a 40% blend of SAF supplied by ITOCHU Corporation and NESTE.
It became not only the first international airline to procure SAF in Japan but also
represented the first delivery of 50,000 gallons of SAF, entirely produced in Japan, which
will be used to fuel aircraft in the near future. (The airline has also partnered with World
Energy to make carbon-neutral flying possible.)
On 13 November, Etihad also flew their “first net zero carbon flight” from Washington
to Sharm-El-Sheik for COP27, claiming 10,000kms of emission-free flight. Recently, the
airline was also recognised as Environmental Airline of the Year for 2022 in the Airline
Excellence Awards.

MEET THE CHANGEMAKER

If you’re marvelling at the rapid clip of sustainability initiatives at Etihad, Mariam
Musallam AlQubaisi, Head of Sustainability & Business Excellence at Etihad Airways
is the person to congratulate. While sustainability initiatives enjoy support right from the
top, Mariam’s single-minded focus on going green is a key driver at Etihad.
Mariam is a self-motivated Emirati with a multidisciplinary background in renewable and
nuclear energy, natural resource management, change management, and innovation. At
Etihad, she supports a pro-sustainability transformation within the organisation, making
Abu Dhabi’s airline a thought leader in sustainable aviation focused on cleaner fuels,
operational efficiency and carbon offsets. She is also an active sustainability expert
serving task forces within the GCAA, IATA and ICAO.
She is quick to tout Etihad’s sustainability transition as their greatest achievement.
“Supporting sustainability was an option, today it is a must! Sustainability
has grown into a core pillar in our corporate strategy, and our CEO meets
with us bi-weekly solely to discuss how we can make Etihad and the
industry greener and cleaner”, she says.
According to Mariam, this transition has given Etihad a pro-sustainability persona
underpinned by the airline’s decarbonisation, waste management, and biodiversity
protection efforts.

7
FLYING TO NET ZERO

OPPORTUNITIES AND CHALLENGES

Mariam believes that technological research
and regulatory support offer the greatest
opportunities for the industry. In the UAE,
she says, there is an excellent support
system as the country aspires to become
a global sustainability champion. “With
its national commitment to net-zero by
2050, the UAE has engaged key industrial,
academic and regulatory stakeholders in
creating a roadmap for net-zero, one that
does not compromise the livelihood of the
industry”, she points out.
Moving forward on sustainability will
require effort but Mariam believes mainly
education and collaboration will be the
key differentiators for those who succeed.
“We need to support the global effort to
educate people and stakeholders about the
importance of this sustainability transition,
and of course we need to work and
collaborate with industry, academia and
government to see it through”, she says.
As far as decarbonisation is concerned,
Mariam knows there is no quick fix or single
solution. She admits that when she first
joined the airline, she was naive to believe
that decarbonisation can only be achieved
through SAF. “I was wrong”, she now says.
“Decarbonisation needs a
multi-faceted and interactive
approach, characterised by a number
of interventions, not limited to SAF.”
She points to the 2021 Sustainable Flight as
a testament to this approach. “We included
SAF, weight reduction on aircraft, route
optimisation and contrail management,
allowing us to reduce over 70% of emissions
compared to a regular flight.”

Source: Etihad Airways

Etihad Airways has launched its sustainability-focused corporate rewards programme "Corporate Conscious
Choices" that focuses on organizations committed to reducing emissions and operating sustainably, with
rewards and incentives that support pro-environmental, social and governance (ESG) initiatives.

8
LOOKING AHEAD
Under Mariam’s leadership, Etihad
has taken an aggressive approach to
communicating its sustainability efforts.
“We have a number of outlets – our
verified annual report and our emissions/
efforts reporting to local and international
organisations. We are happy to be one of
the few carriers that are stage 2 certified
under IATA’s environmental assessment
programme which ensures that a proper
and transparent sustainability management
system is in place,” she says.
Etihad has also pledged to reach a 20%
reduction in emissions intensity by
On 23 October 2021, Etihad Airways operated its most sustainable flight ever, leveraging the learnings and
efficiencies developed over the last two years of its comprehensive sustainability programme
2025, and by 2035, to have cut 2019
net emissions by 50%.  The airline is
bullish on leading the development of
sustainable aviation fuels, and is investing
in technology to make sure their aircraft are
as fuel-efficient as possible.
The airline admits that climate change isn’t
something they can take on alone. They
have also invested in key programmers
with industry leaders – such as the Etihad
Greenliner and Sustainable50.
Read their sustainability report for
more.
Source: Etihad Airways
9
FLYING TO NET ZERO

More needs to be done at the European and national

levels to incentivise the production of SAF.
The additional production of SAF and greater
availability of raw materials are needed to support
mechanisms that can cover additional costs for
products brought to market.
Thomas Fowler
Director of Sustainability and Finance at Ryanair

10
RYANAIR
SUSTAINABILITY OVERVIEW
For the longest time, Ryanair, Europe’s largest airline by passenger numbers, has been
known for flying millions of passengers at rock-bottom prices. In the last couple of years,
however, the airline has made a conscious effort to change the narrative and present
itself as “the greenest and cleanest airline in Europe”.

Source: Ryanair

Ryanair’s sustainability efforts are defined as “Aviation with Purpose” in its most recent
sustainability report. While the airline says it is committed to growing annual traffic
from 149m to 225m customers annually over the next 5 years, it insists that this planned
growth will be accompanied by lower cost of air travel and reduced environmental impact.
At the centre of Ryanair’s sustainability strategy is the following plan: cutting CO2
emissions per passenger/km by 10% over the next decade; use 12.5% SAF fleet-wide by
2030; and to be plastic-free on board within the next 4 years. Most importantly, at the
heart of Ryanair’s environmental strategy is their $22bn investment in new ‘Gamechanger’
aircraft which will reportedly deliver more seats per flight with more leg room for

11
FLYING TO NET ZERO
improved comfort, yet burn 16% less fuel
and reduce noise emissions by up to 40%.
MEET THE CHANGEMAKER
Thomas Fowler is Director Of
Sustainability and Finance at Ryanair,
where he has worked for over 15 years.
For the last three years, Thomas has been
leading Ryanair’s sustainability initiatives.
When it comes to sustainability, Thomas
is quick to get right to the point. He
believes two things are needed at the EU
and national levels to support the aviation
industry’s net zero ambition.
The first is that more needs to be done
to incentivise the production of SAF. “The
additional production of SAF and greater
availability of raw materials are needed
to support mechanisms that can cover
additional costs for products brought
to market. Similar incentives have been
introduced in the US and since then we
On 19th April 2021, Ryanair & Trinity College Dublin announced the launch of the Ryanair Sustainable
Aviation Research Centre. With this partnership, Ryanair commits to power 12.5% of its flights with
sustainable aviation fuels by 2030
12
have seen the US overtaking the EU in SAF
production efforts”, he says with a touch of
disappointment.
The second thing is the immediate
introduction of the Single European
Sky initiative that aims to increase the
efficiency of air traffic management and
air navigation services by reducing the
fragmentation of European airspace.
Thomas believes this alone will help
reduce the emissions generated by the
aviation industry by up to 10%, by removing
unnecessary route changes and the
imposition of longer flight times.
OPPORTUNITIES AND CHALLENGES
Continuing on SAF, Thomas says – like
many of his other airline counterparts –
that since the vast majority of fuel used in
aviation is fossil jet fuel (refined petroleum
known as kerosene), moving to SAF is a
viable solution to minimise global warming
Source: Ryanair website
 Source: World Economic Forum
Existing and announced sustainable fuel production facilities in Europe with SAF production capacity
2020-2025

causing carbon emissions by up to 80%. The advantages, of course, are that SAF can be
blended with fossil jet fuel (as a drop-in fuel) and requires no special infrastructure or
changes to equipment. Once blended, this fuel can be fully certified and have the same
specifications as that of fossil jet fuel.
“That is why we teamed up with Trinity College Dublin to accelerate the use of SAF”, he
says. “By appointing best-in-class researchers, we’ll achieve our industry-leading goal of
powering 12.5% of our flights with SAF by 2030.”
Thomas has also been driving Ryanair’s communications push about its sustainability
efforts. In November 2021, Ryanair published their first sustainability report. The report
communicates the airline’s goals, targets, and initiatives that support their sustainability
agendas. Its most recent report is even more comprehensive and Ryanair’s sustainability
efforts are defined as “Aviation with Purpose”.
“We have also begun using social media more to communicate our message.
In keeping with the brand of Ryanair, we are communicating our
sustainability strategy in a clear, simple, and (almost always) fun way. An
example of this is the video we published to mark International Women’s
Day”, says Thomas.
In addition, Ryanair is also investing time and effort into on-the-ground engagement. The
airline has been engaging with governments, industry bodies, and other forums over the
past few years sharing with them Ryanair’s sustainability efforts and what more needs to
be done. For example, the CEO, Michael O’Leary, met with policymakers in Brussels at the
end of 2021 and continued his outreach in 2022.

13
FLYING TO NET ZERO

LOOKING AHEAD
In recent months, there have been a spate of announcements as Ryanair has ramped up its
sustainability efforts. In December, it signed a memorandum of understanding with Shell
to access up to 360,000 tonnes of SAF from 2025 to 2030, a fifth of what it says it needs
to reach its 12.5% target. Earlier in September this year, the airline signed a deal with
OMV for 160,000 tonnes of SAF. The Vienna-based OMV will provide Ryanair with SAF at
select airports in Romania, Austria, and Germany.
In November this year, Ryanair announced a partnership with Citi to become the first
European airline to deposit funds in its new Sustainable Deposit Solution, which launched
earlier this year. This means that Ryanair can now invest excess cash to support different
sustainable financing projects across Citi’s portfolio. These include a range of areas such
as water conservation, renewable energy, as well as healthcare and education in emerging
markets.
That’s not all. Ryanair is betting on the future and investing in it too. Earlier this year, IE
School of Science and Technology hosted the IE Sustainability Datathon in partnership
with Ryanair. This year’s corporate challenge will enable students to work alongside the
company for three weeks, with Ryanair providing a dataset and a sustainability problem
for students to solve with predictive modelling.

14
15
FLYING TO NET ZERO

In the early days, the business criticality of

sustainability was sometimes difficult to get across.
Nowadays it is well understood within the business
world that sustainability is critical to future success.
However, short-termism can sometimes still be
challenging, not only in business but across society.
Jane Ashton
Sustainability Director at easyJet

16
EASYJET
SUSTAINABILITY OVERVIEW
In Sep 2022, easyJet took the remarkable decision to move away from carbon offsets as
a sustainability pillar. Although controversial because of occasionally opaque outcomes,
offsets have, in general, been a go-to solution for the industry till now. easyJet’s move
opens up a new front for moving airline sustainability towards initiatives that directly
impact carbon production and removal.
The airline is not shy to tout its sustainability credentials. For example, easyJet says its
Airbus NEO aircraft are at least 15% more fuel efficient than the aircraft they replace and
also have a 50% noise reduction.
As a result, “all these measures mean that since 2000, over a 20-year
period, we have already reduced our carbon emissions per passenger, per
kilometre, by one-third.”
The airline has also updated its sustainability strategy for “net zero by 2050” to include
other holistic initiatives including introducing hydrogen-powered jet engines, using
sustainable aviation fuel, more fuel-efficient planes and carbon capture to reach the
target. It also said it will cut carbon emissions by 35% by 2035.

Source: easyJet

MEET THE CHANGEMAKER

Jane Ashton is Sustainability Director at easyJet. With extensive experience in
sustainable tourism and leisure travel management in multiple European travel companies,
Jane brings a deep desire to create a more sustainable tourism model, which, in her

17
FLYING TO NET ZERO
words, delivers commercial success while
optimising social value within environmental
limits.
Although she is a sustainability champion,
Jane believes that travel is undoubtedly
a force for good, connecting friends and
family, culture and understanding, and a
very significant driver of direct and indirect
economic benefit. However, as the climate
crisis becomes ever clearer, so does the
urgency with which all ‘hard to abate’
sectors – aviation included - need to tackle
the challenge of decarbonisation.
“Ultimately, with investors, regulators and
customers increasingly rewarding more
environmentally efficient travel, it makes
business sense to prioritise opportunities to
reduce environmental impact, focusing on
meaningful carbon reduction by investing in
new technologies and innovative business
practices”, she says.
APPROACH TO SUSTAINABILITY
At easyJet, Jane’s sustainability
strategy (which launched end-2019) has
encompassed several key areas:
The recently certified ISO14001-
18
Source: easyJet
aligned IEnvA Environmental
Management System for easyJet –
the only major and low-cost airline in
Europe to have achieved this.
According to Jane, the formal structure
of an Environmental Management
System is “invaluable in engaging
scores of managers across the
business to systematically evaluate
priority environmental impacts and
develop measurements, targets,
accountabilities, and improvement
plans.”
The management of easyJet’s
voluntary carbon credit portfolio (8.7M
high-quality Gold Standard or VCS
credits retired to date).
Collaborating across the business to
develop easyJet’s Net Zero Roadmap
– a pathway to transform the business
to a low and ultimately net zero model
by 2050.
Beyond these initiatives, the airline is
also focusing on reducing the amount of
plastic on their aircraft – more than 36
million single-use plastic items have been
eliminated – as well as reducing waste and
plastic within the wider operations and the
supply chain. “We also recently introduced new crew uniforms made from recycled plastic
bottles”, says Jane. “Forty-five bottles go into each outfit – with the potential to prevent
2.7 million plastic bottles from ending up in landfill or in oceans over the next five years.”
LOOKING AHEAD
easyJet is aware that customers are
increasingly concerned about the
environmental impact of flying, therefore
they expect and value efforts to manage
and reduce it. Therefore, Jane also drives
their communication about sustainability
along the customer journey. She says
she would welcome a Europe-wide
methodology to communicate the carbon
impact of individual flights. easyjet are
involved in EASA’s (European Union Aviation
Safety Agency) project to implement such
an initiative.
easyJet’s roadmap is also aligned with
the UNFCCC-backed Science-based
Targets initiative’s (SBTi) Aviation Sector
Decarbonisation approach, published a
year ago following a development process
of which easyJet was part of. “It is a
logical follow-on from our ‘Race to Zero’
commitment to Net Zero by 2050, signed
during COP26 last November”, she explains.
Source: easyJet
Jane believes the immediate opportunity
lies beyond an individual airline’s capacity to
change. She argues that smarter international
air traffic management could lead to a 10%
carbon reduction from aviation across Europe
alone if the Single European Sky was finally
implemented. (Ryanair, featured later in our
report, argues for the same.)
In addition to their solo efforts, easyJet
is also working with partners across the
industry, including Airbus, Rolls-Royce,
GKN Aerospace, and Cranfield Aerospace
Solutions. Together with Rolls-Royce,
airline is supporting the development of
hydrogen combustion engine technology,
capable of powering an easyJet sized
aircraft in the future. Moreover, easyJet
is also the first airline to support Airbus’
ZEROe programme for hybrid-hydrogen
aircraft and recently signed a letter
of intent with Airbus to support the
development of carbon removal technology.
19
FLYING TO NET ZERO

Sustainability is a road that we build together. When

it comes down to taking care of our planet and our
people, there is no such thing as competition. When
airlines and organisations unite for the common
good, complex problems are solved with much
greater ease.
Xiomara Martin
Vice President Marketing & Sustainability at Aeroméxico

20
AEROMÉXICO
SUSTAINABILITY OVERVIEW
Following the brutal travel shutdown due to the COVID-19 pandemic, Mexico was one
of the first countries to see a real bounce-back in terms of domestic travel after the
early days of the virus. However, even as the immediate focus was business recovery and
health safety, the COVID-19 pandemic gave Aeroméxico much food for thought about
sustainability.
One of the first pillars for the airline is improving aircraft efficiency via a fleet renewal
programme. In 2021, it announced an order for 24 new Boeing 737-8 MAX and 737-9
MAX jets, alongside plans to retire some of its Boeing 737-700s and Embraer E190s. In
partnership with Neste, it also carried out three flights between the US and Mexico using
sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) for the first time in November 2021. The airline also
began undertaking a range of other initiatives, such as phasing out single-use plastics
from 2022.

MEET THE CHANGEMAKER

Like many other airlines, while the mandate for sustainability comes from the top, the
planning and execution is driven by a dedicated sustainability function. Xiomara Martin
is Vice President Marketing & Sustainability at Aeroméxico. With over 20 years of
experience across various functions, she leads the marketing and sustainability agenda
at Aeroméxico by “adopting a client and environmental centric approach and executing
the global strategy to maximise brand equity and minimise the company’s environmental
impact”.
Xiomara says that Aeroméxico’s commitment to a greener future is exemplified by their
fleet that emits 40% less CO2 than 15 years ago.

“This has been possible due to the Fleet Renovation Plan and the
implementation of a fuel efficiency programme over more than 10 years
that applies new technologies and optimises processes to generate even
fewer emissions. These efforts have positioned us among the most efficient
airlines in the industry, according to IATA”, she says.

Ultimately, what drives Xiomara’s work is the desire to give future generations a planet
they can enjoy. In addition, she says she wishes to create the environmental and social
wealth that will allow Mexico’s sustainable development. And on top of her agenda, of
course, is proving that sustainable aviation is possible.

21
FLYING TO NET ZERO

Source: Aeroméxico
Aeromexico uses a sensible pictorial format to tell people about their green initiatives

OPPORTUNITIES AND CHALLENGES

Xiomara admits that now more than ever passengers consider the sustainability aspect
of flying. Which is why Aeroméxico’s efforts to promote ESG give them the opportunity
to be the airline of choice. However, since the aviation industry is highly regulated and
susceptible to the climate, social, cultural, economic, and political conditions of every
country, this makes implementing a sustainability policy more difficult, but also more
exciting.
As Mexico’s legacy carrier, Aeroméxico has specific goals such as making SAF more readily
available and cost-effective, and promoting a culture of sustainability with their suppliers,
associates, and passengers. Xiomara’s aim is to get governments, suppliers, employees,
and passengers involved to build a more sustainable aviation ecosystem together. For her,
flying towards a better future involves not only decarbonization efforts but also waste
reduction and sustainable travel packages that not only benefit the environment, but also
the communities in which the airline operates.
Like many other airlines, Xiomara says one of the major focus areas for Aeroméxico
is to continue developing SAF “in every region according to each country's situation,
guaranteeing the creation of environmental, social, and economic wealth, while also
educating our passengers on the reduction of emissions from these types of fuels.”
For Xiomara, it is of vital importance to employ a sustainable culture within the
organisation.

“Identifying natural sustainability leaders, giving them a voice, recognition,

the power to transform, as well as support is important”, she says. “They
are the ones who promote sustainable values throughout the organisation
while generating projects of environmental and social value.”

22
LOOKING AHEAD
In May 2022, Aeroméxico participated in SkyTeam’s Sustainable Flight Challenge – a call
to participating airlines to use everything at their disposal to operate a single flight with
minimal impact on the environment.
Aeroméxico stepped up to the Sustainable Flight Challenge by operating a flight from
Mexico City to Vancouver on May 10. During the flight, it adopted a range of techniques
to reduce the carbon footprint of passengers on board.
Measures included providing free, shared minibus transport to the airport to reduce the
use of individual cars; creating a more sustainable onboard menu; handing out reusable
cups for in-flight beverages to cut the amount of single-use plastics; and distributing
blankets made from recycled plastic bottles. Aeroméxico also agreed during the flight
to double each passenger donation to its Vuela Verde voluntary carbon-offsetting
programme, which supports sustainable projects throughout Mexico.
Aeroméxico also publishes a yearly sustainability report that conforms to international
standards like those of the Global Reporting Initiative (GRI) which guarantees
transparency in reporting. In addition, the airline communicates their sustainable
initiatives through social media campaigns. It also responds to the requirements of
institutional investors and suppliers through the different questionnaires of international
organisations like the Carbon Disclosure Project or the CSA, with the objective of
providing utmost transparency in the performance of environmental, social, and risk
management.

23
FLYING TO NET ZERO

My motivation is to bring the industry to a point so

that the wonders of air travel can be enjoyed
without detriment to the climate. My personal
mission is to be on course to deliver this by the time
I retire – and I don’t want to be too old when I retire!
So we need to act quickly.
Carrie Harris
Director of Sustainability at British Airways

24
BRITISH AIRWAYS
SUSTAINABILITY OVERVIEW
In 2021, British Airways (BA) launched a comprehensive sustainability programme called
BA Better World. It was developed in recognition of the fact that flying comes at a cost
to the environment and that urgent action is required to create a better, more sustainable
future. The airline calls it their “most important journey yet”.
The airline has committed to achieving net zero carbon emissions by 2050 through
a clear short-, medium and long-term plan. In the short-term this includes improving
operational efficiency, investing in more efficient aircraft, funding carbon offset projects
to mitigate emissions on UK domestic flights and progressively introducing sustainable
aviation fuels (SAF) using waste feedstocks. In the medium to longer-term BA will invest
in the development and scale-up of SAF and new technologies, such as zero emissions
hydrogen-powered aircraft and carbon capture technology.

Source: British Airways

MEET THE CHANGEMAKER

Carrie Harris is Director of Sustainability at British Airways. She brings rich experience
in the field having previously served as Group Sustainability Manager at International
Airlines Group (IAG), coordinating sustainability strategy across the Group’s airlines Aer
Lingus, British Airways, Iberia, Vueling and LEVEL. In 2019, she helped deliver a world’s
first "Flightpath net zero" programme, making IAG the first airline group worldwide to
commit to achieving net zero carbon emissions by 2050.

25
FLYING TO NET ZERO
For Carrie, aviation sustainability brings
together three of her core passions: respect
and awe at the natural world and a deep
sense of responsibility to protect it; a love
of travel and cultural experiences; and a
love of technology and innovation.
Speaking of bringing her experience
with Flightpath net zero, Carrie says the
difference was that they published a
quantified pathway on how net zero could
be achieved, also a world first. “This was
pivotal in driving sector-wide change, first
in the UK, then Europe and the USA, then
across our alliance partners in Oneworld,
and most recently with the global industry
body IATA. The momentum and industry
support are now there and we’re hopeful
ICAO, the UN body for aviation, will
also commit to net zero at its Assembly
meeting”, she says.
British Airways has teamed up with ZeroAvia, a leading innovator in decarbonizing commercial aviation, in a
project to explore how hydrogen-powered aircraft can play a leading role in the future of sustainable flying
26
However, the highlight for Carrie has
been launching the BA Better World
sustainability programme along with a fresh
new brand identity and a special livery
aircraft in September 2021.
“Positioning sustainability at the
heart of British Airways’ corporate
strategy to deliver transformational
change in the coming decade and
beyond is a dream come true”, she
emphasises.
Ultimately, Carrie says it was a massive
team effort made possible by clear
direction and support from the CEO and
Chairman Sean Doyle and involved people
across the entire organisation.
Source: British Airways
OPPORTUNITIES AND CHALLENGES
In April 2021, IAG became the first European airline group to commit to powering 10
percent of its flights with sustainable aviation fuel by 2030.
“We believe that sustainable aviation fuel can be a real game changer for
aviation. We’re investing in first-of-a-kind SAF plants in the UK and US to
scale up the availability of this drop-in replacement for fossil fuels”, says
Carrie.
“We took delivery of the first direct supplies of sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) including
enough to power all our flights from London to Scotland for the duration of COP26 and
our first transatlantic flight operated on 35% SAF.”
In 2021, BA announced a partnership with Phillips 66, making it the first airline in the
world to use SAF produced at commercial scale in the UK. They have also partnered with
LanzaJet, which will see the airline invest in LanzaJet’s first commercial scale facility in
the USA and acquire cleaner SAF from the plant. In addition, the airline’s parent company,
International Airlines Group (IAG) has to date committed 865 million dollars in SAF
purchasing and investments.

WHY CARBON PRICING COULD BE A VIABLE SOLUTION

For Carrie, the single most effective sustainability measure would be global, economy-
wide carbon pricing. “This would mean that all products and services purchased by
consumers would have climate externalities internalised”, she explains. Establishing this
would make carbon a valued global commodity, freely tradeable across multiple markets,
and in turn, this would:
Enable consumers everywhere to make informed choices about the products and
services they buy
Create market conditions that accelerate the shift to ‘green’ products, making some
other products less desirable due to their impact and carbon cost
Drive investment into the faster scale-up of low carbon solutions including, in the
case of aviation, sustainable aviation fuels, hydrogen propulsion, and carbon capture
and storage solutions
It would also help protect biodiversity and natural ecosystems that offer valuable
carbon sink

LOOKING AHEAD
With over 30,000 employees and a global network, British Airways understands that
it has a huge opportunity and responsibility to inform and educate people about
sustainability and to inspire action. Carrie says that with BA Better World, clear and
transparent communication and engagement is at the heart of the airline’s strategy to
create a culture of sustainability that's visible and tangible for their customers.

27
FLYING TO NET ZERO
Since launching BA Better World, the
airline has created several short films
that articulate their action in a clear and
engaging way. These include the BA Better
World launch film, the Flightpath net zero
films, and most recently a short docu-
series that kicked off with a fun look at
Sustainable Aviation Fuels (SAF), showing
how BA’s pioneering supply of SAF is
produced in the UK.
The airline has also revamped their website
with a dedicated BA Better World section;
featured sustainability in BA’s ‘The Check-
In’ podcast; and regularly provides updates
on sustainability initiatives on social media,
through press releases to media and to
employees through internal channels,
webinars and events. BA also maintains a
sustainability factsheet, available on their
media centre for anyone interested in a
comprehensive overview of the airline’s
actions.
In October 2022, BA announced an
upgraded consumer-facing platform for
sustainable flying in partnership with
CHOOSE. According to reports, the
The plane on which British Airways has chosen to showcase its special 'BA Better World' livery is an Airbus
A320neo that bears the registration G-TTNA
28
upgraded programme, named Co2llaborate,
will allow customers to gauge an accurate
reading of their emissions and state the
percentage of SAF they would like to
purchase versus carbon offsets. The SAF
comes from the Phillips 66 plant in the
Humberside area, where the feedstock is
made from used cooking oil as part of the
plant’s sustainable operations.
BA has also invested in ZeroAvia to
accelerate the development of 50+
seater aircraft capable of running on zero
emissions hydrogen electric power. “British
Airways’ early partnership with ZeroAvia,
the hydrogen-electric propulsion start-up,
in 2020 and our subsequent investment in
them in January 2021 was another landmark
moment, sending a clear signal of intent to
incumbent manufacturers that innovation in
clean technology is important to us,” says
Carrie. “The momentum and excitement
around hydrogen continued to accelerate
and in late 2021 Airbus published its
programme, bringing forward the projected
entry into service by 15 years.”
Source: British Airways
29
FLYING TO NET ZERO

It is no secret that aviation has a real climate impact

– and my fear is that in the long-term, if our industry
does not take meaningful steps to decarbonize, our
business is at risk. And so is what we offer society:
a chance to explore and connect with the world.
Sara Bogdan
Director, Head of Sustainability and ESG at JetBlue Airways

30
JETBLUE
SUSTAINABILITY OVERVIEW
JetBlue plans to achieve net zero emissions earlier than most airlines in the world:
by 2040. Counter-intuitively, most of JetBlue’s recent sustainability efforts – including
the 2040 target – were thought out during the lull of the COVID-19 shutdown, when
business was hurting and planes were grounded.
To get to net zero, the airline has committed to several short- and medium-term targets
including reduction in aircraft emissions 25 percent per available seat mile (ASM) by 2030
from 2015 levels; 10 percent of total jet fuel to be from blended SAF by 2030; 40 percent
of three main ground service equipment vehicle types to electric by 2025 and 50 percent
by 2030; eliminate single-use plastics within service where possible; where not possible,
ensure plastic is recyclable; and maintain at least an 80 percent recycling rate for audited
domestic flights.

MEET THE CHANGEMAKER

Sara Bogdan is Director, Head of Sustainability and ESG at JetBlue Airways.
She manages a series of operational sustainability programmes that “better prepare
the organisation for a changing and resource-constrained world”. This includes the
execution of JetBlue being the first US airline to achieve regular carbon-neutral flying
for all domestic flights via carbon offsets, investments in sustainable aviation fuel, and
increasingly fuel-efficient operations.
Sara admits that the challenges of the last several years would have made it easy for
JetBlue to abandon their sustainability goals, but in fact adversity has only strengthened
the airline’s commitment.
She offers two reasons for the passion that underpins her work – first, a deep concern for
the climate. Her background is in climate change research, studying the vast impacts of a
warming climate on wildlife. It is this work that inspired Sara to work in sustainability. “I
felt so deeply concerned about the climate crisis that I wanted to dedicate my efforts to
implementing meaningful, tangible, and quantifiable decarbonising initiatives”, she says.
The second is her love for the industry and her company. Sara believes that while the
air travel industry provides a critical service to society, we urgently need to pursue all
solutions to allow us to continue to do so – with significantly fewer emissions.

OPPORTUNITIES AND CHALLENGES

For JetBlue, the global pandemic helped illuminate first-hand the vulnerability of the
business to external risks, and actually sharpened the airline’s focus on sustainability
and ESG. The work has only continued to grow in scope and ambition – JetBlue’s SAF

31
FLYING TO NET ZERO
commitments lead the aviation industry
by percent of total fuel, and the airline
continues to achieve per-seat emissions
reductions as new fuel-efficient aircraft and
flying procedures are introduced
According to Sara, the greatest challenge
is simply a matter of physics – airplanes
rely on liquid fuels, which are 99.9%
fossil fuels. And while travel currently
represents a small percentage of overall
Greenhouse Gases (GHG), Sara admits it
will become proportionately more impactful
as other industries are able to accelerate
sustainability efforts faster.
“For a “hard to decarbonise” industry like
aviation it’s important to acknowledge that
change for us will happen incrementally but
are doing the work to make a meaningful
impact in the short term with moves like
investing in SAF, electrifying our ground
service equipment, and optimising fuel use
with efficient an efficient fleet, routings,
and operations”, she says.
Sara points out that Instilling an internal
In November 2021, JetBlue announced it had joined Sustainable Aviation Buyers Alliance (SABA), a joint
initiative with Rocky Mountain Institute (RMI), Environmental Defense Fund (EDF), and a forward-looking
group of corporate travelers and U.S. airlines to help drive investment in high-integrity SAF.
32
culture with a focus on making sustainable
decisions across the operation has been
incredibly useful in delivering immediate
results.
“We’re giving leaders across the
operation the tools to understand
the short- and long-term
sustainability impacts of their
decisions, along with business and
financial impact, so they can make
decisions that are not only best for
the organisation but best for the
planet”, she says.
SAF AND OFFSETTING
JetBlue has long been on record with
the view that SAF is the most promising
solution currently available to help the
industry reach its net zero goals. JetBlue
works with its SAF partners — Neste and
World Energy — to aggressively acquire
and utilise SAF in its operations. Sara says
that while the airline is proud to have been
the first U.S. airline flying regularly on both
Source: Air BP
 Source: JetBlue Ventures
Last year, JetBlue became the first airline to invest in Universal Hydrogen, an aerospace company working
to decarbonize the global aviation industry through the adoption of zero-carbon emitting hydrogen as fuel

commercially available SAF suppliers in the U.S, and has made significant commitments
with other producers to continue to grow our SAF mix, challenges remain. It is no secret,
after all, that there is still a very significant price premium for SAF.
However, Sara argues that much can be done from a policy standpoint, and while JetBlue
continues to advocate for a SAF-specific blenders tax credit, that’s just one means of
reducing the premium. The second is around economies of scale.
“As more and more airlines buy SAF, we’ll get to this space where there’s
more supply, more economies of scale, and the price will come down”, she
explains.
In addition, the airline has offsetting partnerships with CarbonFund, South Pole and
EcoAct — to help ensure that they are investing in high-quality carbon credits. These
partners help JetBlue identify a portfolio of diverse projects all over the world that are
registered with a third-party, internationally recognized verification standard or standards
verified by the UNFCCC.
Ultimately, even though JetBlue recognises that offsetting is not a long-term solution,
they believe that offsets are an important short-term bridge to reducing environmental
impact.

33
FLYING TO NET ZERO

PLANNING AND PARTNERSHIPS

Sara says that partnerships will ultimately JetBlue to expand its usage of SAF by
be the most pivotal in helping JetBlue helping cover the price premium between
reach their sustainability goals. “Whether conventional and sustainable aviation fuel.
it’s working with regulatory bodies This additional investment helps increase
and governments for policy support, demand for SAF, creating a positive
joining consortiums like SABA or ACT feedback loop for the emerging industry to
to share best practices, or partnering produce more supply.
with everyday businesses looking to
manage their corporate travel emissions
while encouraging the emerging SAF LOOKING AHEAD
market, these partnerships require a lot
Sara’s ESG philosophy centres around
of balancing priorities and mutual trust.
continuous improvement, not perfection.
Establishing those partnerships and
“On day one, the best you can do is
aligning on goals takes effort – but we
acknowledge a challenge”, she says. “Next,
recognize we can be exponentially more
study and transparently report the current
effective as partners than attempting to
state. From there, set meaningful yet
change the world all on our own”, she says.
achievable targets. And then the really fun
JetBlue also recently established the work begins – executing the solutions to
Sustainable Travel Partners program for improve.”
corporate customers. It offers access to a
She says that throughout this process,
suite of offerings to help reduce business
honesty and transparency are key. Whether
travel emissions and meet their own
it is the airline’s crews using single-engine
corporate sustainability targets. Through
taxiing and getting onto GPUs quickly,
the purchase of JetBlue SAF Certificates,
or encouraging next-gen ATC systems to
corporate customers enable

Source: JetBlue website

“JetBlue is facing climate change head on and preparing our business for a new climate reality.”
– Sara Bogdan

34
improve routings, she believes that sharing and acknowledging limitations are a strength,
not weakness.
“We don’t get there by telling people what we’re doing or by claiming
perfection from the start, but by helping lead everyone to do the work
along with us”, says Sara.
In fact, such transparency helps the organisation find immediate opportunities to make an
impact while showing what’s possible when everyone works together.
Last but not least, JetBlue Airways’ investments in early-stage companies through its
JetBlue Ventures division reflect its willingness to commit financial resources to a wide
range of eco-conscious enterprises. Recently adding its 41st company to its portfolio of
investments, JetBlue’s venture capital arm doesn’t limit its financial interest to technology
companies. But a commitment to sustainability remains at its core, as evidenced by its
stakes in companies such as eVTOL developer Joby, Universal Hydrogen, and, most
recently, battery pack developer Electric Power Systems.

35
FLYING TO NET ZERO

For me, sustainability is a state of mind, a lifestyle,

an area in which I continue to learn from, admire and
develop a deeper passion and connection to. The key
to understanding the future can be narrowed down
to one word: Sustainability.
Yaser Farhood
GM Operations Projects at SAUDIA

36
SAUDIA
SUSTAINABILITY OVERVIEW
In 2016, the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA) launched the ambitious Vision 2030
programme. Essentially, Vision 2030 is a roadmap for the future of Saudi Arabia with
sustainability at the heart of everything the Kingdom does, from policy development and
investment to planning and infrastructure. With more than 20 planned projects of massive
scale, Vision 2030 aims to transform the Kingdom’s economy and society, while moving
it away from its oil-dependent roots. In 2021, the Kingdom as a whole committed to
reaching net zero by 2060.
Unsurprisingly, Saudi Arabian Airlines (SAUDIA), the Kingdom’s flag carrier, is set to play
a major role in the country’s transformation. Since sustainability has been at the heart
of Vision 2030 since its inception, it has been at the top of the airline’s agenda as well.
Currently, there’s a large-scale effort underway to ensure that the airline moves towards a
sustainable future.
In 2022, SAUDIA was at the forefront of some promising achievements. As a participant in
the SkyTeam Sustainable Flight Challenge (TSFC), it was the first airline to operate the
world’s longest net-positive flight on May 12, by offsetting a total of 346 tons of carbon
emissions, including radiative forcing impacts by a factor of two, for flight SV227 from
Jeddah to Madrid.
On the same flight, SAUDIA also led the world’s in-flight sustainability lab.
It involved guests on the flight submitting ideas on how air travel could
become greener. Each guest and staff member inflight were also asked to
contribute suggestions while airborne. This later won the highest award in
the Customer Engagement category of the flight challenge.
That’s not all. The airline also offset 100% of SAUDIA flights to London for the Formula E
race weekend in July and is committed to do more in the sustainability sphere. Recently,
it became one of the the five leading Saudi Arabian business partners of the MENA
regional Voluntary Carbon Market (VCM). It is also the first in the MENA region to
invest in sustainable air mobility with plans to purchase 100 all-electric Lilium Jets
(eVTOL) and support certification across the region.
And this is just the beginning.

MEET THE CHANGEMAKER

Yaser Farhood is General Manager, Operations Projects at SAUDIA. His role includes a
mandate to initiate, lead, and manage a sustainability roadmap preparing the airline’s
journey towards net-zero operations by 2050.
Mr. Farhood’s professional background includes more than 35 years of aviation experience
in both aviation safety and operations. During the pandemic, in April 2020, Mr. Farhood

37
FLYING TO NET ZERO

led SAUDIA’s Restart Operations working group and implemented safety measures for
COVID-19. In September 2021, in addition to his role as General Manager Operations
Projects, Mr. Farhood has been assigned the duties and responsibilities of the VP
Environment & Sustainability.
“Our airline is aware of the aviation industry’s 2050 commitment to net zero and is
wasting no time in planning and implementing green initiatives”, says Mr Farhood. “We
know that no matter how small or simple, every little bit counts.”

Source: Forbes

OPPORTUNITIES AND CHALLENGES

Mr Farhood recalls how the in-flight airline’s employees.
sustainability lab in May 2022 was a
“The results were just fantastic and really
game changer and crucial in getting the
gave us insight into what our guests,
sustainability message across to everyone,
the passengers, think when it comes to
right from the crew to every single
solutions. We enjoyed having our guests
passenger on the flight. Each passenger
be a part of the conversation”, says Mr.
was given three post-it notes (printed on
Farhood.
recycled paper), where they wrote down
their suggestions, before handing the notes On the flight, the airline also introduced
back to the cabin crew. local farm products and farm-to-table
offerings onboard, in order to deliver
The in-flight lab was mirrored by a similar
sustainable, locally sourced meal offerings
‘ideas initiative’ that took place at SAUDIA’s
on board. The local aspect is important, as
headquarters in Jeddah, involving the
it showcases the massive variety of local

38
products available from within Saudi Arabia, not to mention the freshness and reduction
of environmental impact. Moreover, as part of the Sustainable Flight Challenge (TSFC),
SAUDIA designed its inflight menu using sustainable ingredients in partnership with
local company, “Red Sea Farms”. The farm uses salt water and sunlight-based agriculture
systems.
Furthermore, during the period when Covid-19 safety measures were introduced, SAUDIA
introduced an all-digital, paperless solution for passengers. “This has been a great success
ever-since, considering that the airline has close to 600 takeoffs daily”, asserts Mr
Farhood. “We have also had a completely all-digital card for our Al Fursan privilege card
members for more than five years now.”

HARNESSING THE POWER OF PARTNERSHIPS

Collaboration and successful partnerships are SAUDIA’s strengths, and as the official
airline partner of the ABB FIA Formula E World Championship, the airline is a contributor
to the sustainability goals of the motorsport series.
As part of the airline’s sustainability initiatives and in support of its
partnership, SAUDIA operated a full weekend schedule of flights which had
100% of unavoidable scope 1 carbon emissions offset from Riyadh and
Jeddah to London Heathrow last July.
SAUDIA offset the unavoidable scope 1 carbon emissions for the flights, including
radiative forcing impacts by a factor of 1.9 by an enviro-tech company “CarbonClick”, who
also facilitated the airline’s world’s longest net-positive flight as part of the SkyTeam
Sustainable Flight Challenge.
With a flight time of 6 hours 55 minutes between Riyadh and London Heahthrow and
6 hours 15 minutes between Jeddah and London Heathrow, the routes are among the
longest carbon-neutral flights worldwide.
The flights were offset via a Gold Standard approved and CORSIA certified wind power
carbon offsetting scheme in India. The project will replace carbon intensive coal powered
electricity with clean, renewable wind power.

Source: Vision 2030

39
FLYING TO NET ZERO

“This was a true group effort”, recalls Mr Farhood. “It required a number of cross-
functional teams coming together to deliver a first for the airline – operating a total of 10
flights back-to-back on a net-zero basis.”

LOOKING AHEAD
SAUDIA has introduced just under ten new routes in the last year. “We are on a mission to
ensure the airline’s growth accelerates with as minimal environmental impact as possible”,
emphasises Mr. Farhood. “We believe utilizing technology, innovation and the digital
experience will provide massive returns not just environmentally, but in safety as well.”
As part of SAUDIA’s transformational journey, one in particular that holds a sizable impact
is the aircraft fleet upgrade programme. The current fleet of just under 150 narrow and
widebody aircraft has undergone a revitalisation with new aircraft cycled in to replace
older ones.
In addition, a retrofit project has remodeled the entire cabin to embed new technology
and state-of-the-art equipment. SAUDIA aims to have one of the youngest fleets in the
world. The benefits, of course, include significantly lower emissions – and a consequently
better environmental footprint – compared to the older fleet.
Meanwhile, in October 2022, SAUDIA signed a joint Memorandum of Understanding (MoU)
announcement with Lilium to purchase up to 100 electric vertical take-off and landing
(eVTOL) jets.

Saudi Arabia’s first-ever eVTOL service in its history will serve a growing
passenger segment looking to make expedient journeys to both congested
airports and remote locations. Given Saudi Arabia’s diverse landscape and
vast landmass, it makes sense for the airline to develop this new product,
with the main advantage being its reduced environmental and noise
impacts.

Mr Farhood is positive as he considers the flight path to sustainability for SAUDIA. “What
the past year taught us is that where there is a will, there is always a way. We are proud
of the entire team which took on challenges and collaborated to devise creative and
effective solutions. It was all new territory for us, and this only paves the way forward and
gives us the confidence to continue on this green trajectory”, he concludes.

40
41
FLYING TO NET ZERO

Flying is about dreaming. It’s about bringing down

obstacles and barriers. Avianca has been around for
over 100 years and has faced the fiercest challenges
one can imagine. For me, the main inspiration is to
be part of a team that will make sure Avianca will
prevail while facing the most difficult challenge of
all: Sustainability.
Felipe Andrés Gómez Vivas
Director of Sustainability and Institutional Relations at Avianca

42
AVIANCA
SUSTAINABILITY OVERVIEW
Avianca Airlines was one of the hardest hit airlines during the COVID-19 pandemic. After
changing its cost structure in 2019, the company declared Chapter 11 bankruptcy in mid-
2020 and underwent a financial restructuring process.
While others might have baulked at taking on the challenge of going green so soon after
suffering acute financial distress, Avianca actually reiterated its commitment to the
environment through planned incremental improvements. It is entirely to the airline’s
credit that sustainability features as a key component of their strategy going forward.
Avianca’s 2021 Sustainability Report outlines two of its key sustainability initiatives
after emerging from bankruptcy. The first is a certified Environmental Management
System that helps prevent environmental pollution through cleaner production practices
and compliance with legislation. The airline reported no aberrations in 2021. The second
is a fuel conservation programme called "Avianca Fuel" that designs, implements and
monitors fuel conservation initiatives. The programme has 24 fuel conservation initiatives,
of which 9 are executed by pilots, 11 are managed by flight dispatch and 4 are executed
by maintenance.

MEET THE CHANGEMAKER

Felipe Andrés Gómez Vivas is Director of Sustainability and Institutional Relations
at Avianca. A political scientist with over 19 years of experience, he has worked as a
consultant and as an executive in the food, building materials, government and airline
sectors. For the last two years he has been leading Avianca’s government relations and
sustainability initiatives.
Despite leading the function at Avianca, Felipe insists that sustainability is not an office,
an area, or a title.
“It’s a capability that should be visible and accountable in every single
project and role inside the airline. Every executive is responsible for making
sure ESG practices are present in his or her KPIs and their analysis
processes”, he says.
Felipe is proud of what Avianca has achieved despite stiff challenges to its business. For
example, as part of its commitment to caring for the environment, under its sustainability
strategy, Avianca offset more than 70% of the CO2 emissions generated in its domestic
operation in Colombia between 2017 and 2021.
Moreover, a new cabin transformation is set to ensure that more than 90 A320 aircraft
will have 20% more capacity per aircraft in order to reduce the carbon footprint per
passenger by 13%. In addition, Avianca participated for the fifth consecutive year in the
Carbon Disclosure Project (CDP), the highest-ranked airline in Latin America for its

43
FLYING TO NET ZERO
actions against "climate change".
Finally, the airline is one of the first 100
companies participating in the Carbon
Neutrality Program established by the
Colombian Ministry of the Environment,
contributing to the fulfilment of the goals
that the country has set for 2030 and
2050.
OPPORTUNITIES AND CHALLENGES
For Avianca, the main challenge, of course,
has been to put their sustainability
agenda together in the middle of a brutal
pandemic. Felipe says that the airline’s main
achievements have been three strategic
decisions that are making their flying
greener:
Densification of the fleet which will
allow Avianca to fly more passengers
with less fuel usage and emissions
Growing their point-to-point network,
which increases aircraft usage and
Since Apr 22, 2022, Avianca’s passengers have the option to offset their carbon footprint through the
CHOOOSE™ platform, making a voluntary contribution
44
efficiency;
Buying more than 80 Airbus aircraft
with the latest technology that will
make emissions decrease significantly.
According to Felipe, the biggest
opportunity lies in coordinating and
organising all stakeholders involved in
air transport operations around fighting
emissions and climate change. “We need
our staff to understand the risks and
opportunities”, he says. “But we also need
to achieve this with authorities, passengers,
suppliers, and manufacturers. It is not easy
but there are signs that show that we are
moving in the right direction.”
Felipe is bullish on SAF and sustainable
energy for aircraft. He says there is nothing
more important than working on this front.
“This should be the number one priority. We
need to agree on better practices regarding
SAFs, airport operations, offsets, new fuel
technologies, waste management, carbon
taxes, etc. The opportunities are endless”,
he emphasises.
Source: Avianca's Twitter
Since April 2022, Avianca customers have also been able to voluntarily offset their
carbon footprint through a digital platform available as a result of the airline's partnership
with CHOOOSE. The first phase of this initiative will enable Avianca customers to
contribute to the protection of more than 103,000 hectares of tropical rainforest in
Colombia, support the production of wind energy in Costa Rica and help conserve forests
in Guatemala.

LOOKING AHEAD
While there are reasons to be hopeful, Felipe is cautiously optimistic. He explains that in
the aviation industry there are so many challenges that it is difficult to set sights, as an
organisation, on the biggest challenge that seems far away and not immediate.
“We need to make sure all of our people understand the sustainability
challenge is as relevant and serious as any operational challenge we face”,
he says.
In July 2022, the airline announced that it had offset 97.7% of CO2 emissions (equivalent
to 401,000 tonnes) from its operation in Colombia between January and June 2022,
through duly certified carbon credits. According to the company, it will invest a total of
approximately $4.3 million in emission compensation actions during this year. The sum will
be invested mainly in the purchase of carbon credits.
The work is only beginning, however. Felipe says that communication is a huge challenge:
“I think that the best way to communicate, additionally to your own communications
efforts and activities, is to make sure your allies, your passengers, and stakeholders
understand your strategy, that they feel part of it, and make your message their
message,” he says. “You need to build strong long-term alliances based on consistent and
coherent actions that allow your stakeholders to be your strongest and most credible
defenders and validators.”

45
FLYING TO NET ZERO

The challenge of decarbonizing aviation is complex,

so it is fascinating and intellectually stimulating.
But it is people that keep me going – especially the
people across our company who are constantly
coming up with new ideas to make progress.
Diana Birkett Rakow
Senior Vice President, Public Affairs & Sustainability at Alaska Airlines

46
ALASKA AIRLINES
SUSTAINABILITY OVERVIEW
In April 2022, Alaska Airlines celebrated its 90th anniversary, a remarkable achievement
by any measure. However, its eyes are firmly set on navigating the next 90 years, with
sustainability set to be a key part of those plans.
It is worth noting that Alaska is one of the few airlines that have committed to reaching
net-zero before 2050. In fact, their five-part plan – released in 2021 – outlines how the
airline plans to get there as soon as 2040.

Source: Alaska Airlines

That’s not all. They have outlined short-term plans until 2025 as well. These include
focusing on improving operational efficiency with procedures and technology that
minimise fuel burn. For example, by implementing route optimisation software Flyways;
taking delivery of new Boeing 737 MAX aircraft; improving use of electric ground power
and air and continuing to evolve the ground fleet toward lower-emissions options. Last
but not least, the airline is aggressively investing in developing and procuring SAF.

47
FLYING TO NET ZERO

MEET THE CHANGEMAKER

Diana Birkett Rakow is Senior Vice President, Public Affairs & Sustainability at Alaska
Airlines. She is a senior ESG and public affairs executive and Board Director with over two
decades’ experience across multiple industries and private, not-for-profit, and government
sectors.
Diana’s approach to sustainability is people and process-oriented.
“People keep me motivated and inspired”, she says. “Especially those in the
organisation who are improving processes to save fuel or be more efficient,
and who reach out with ideas about recycling or waste management.
Years ago, our flight attendants designed and implemented our onboard recycling
programme – and more recently, our dispatchers worked with software developers from
Airspace Intelligence to develop new route optimization called Flyways which dispatchers
can use to support their development of flight paths that save fuel, time, and emissions.”
The biggest lesson for Diana is the critical need for partnership and collaboration – on
all fronts, inside and beyond Alaska Airlines. She says sustainability involves work that
cannot live in a silo, and no one organisation has all the answers.
Inside Alaska, this means sharing responsibility for progress with teams and colleagues
across the company. For example, working with the supply chain to navigate the diverse
market for SAF; with the food and beverage team to evaluate products to replace
single-use plastic; with the airport teams to make the ground vehicle fleet increasingly
electric; and more. Starting last year, the airline also added a carbon intensity goal to
the employee performance pay programme to embed this drive for sustainability in their
culture.

Source: Alaska Airlines

Flyways AI™ – The use of an AI-powered flight monitoring and routing platform that aids in critical decisions
is a first in the U.S. air transportation industry

48

Flyways AI™ – The use of an AI-powered flight monitoring and routing platform that aids in critical decisions
is a first in the U.S. air transportation industry
OPPORTUNITIES AND CHALLENGES
Diana recognises that aviation is a
complex and ever-changing industry. “In
the last few years, especially, the industry
has faced concurrent crises: health and
safety through the Covid-19 pandemic;
the economic viability of the industry;
and the imperative to preserve jobs when
demand went to nothing, more deeply
understanding the continued impact of
racism in our country, working to advance
equity and ensure that all employees feel
they belong, and the tragedy of war in
Ukraine and its human and global impacts”,
she details. Diana says the challenge is to
at once hold, navigate, and address these
and the drive to improve Alaska’s climate
impact.
Alaska Airlines has a long-term goal of
reaching net zero by 2040, and a five-part
path to get there: operational efficiency,
fleet renewal, sustainable aviation fuels,
electrified or hybrid aircraft propulsion, and
Source: Alaska Airlines
credible carbon offsets only as needed to
close any remaining gaps to their target.
Diana says that the airline continues to
work on all five fronts but knows that
making SAF available at a commercially
viable price and scale can have the greatest
impact on decarbonising aviation in the
next two decades. “SAF is safe and easy
to use in aviation because it is certified as
a “drop-in” fuel meaning it can be added
to the broader jet fuel supply, and it can
reduce the lifecycle carbon emissions
impact of fuel by up to 80% or more”, she
explains.
However, Diana admits that scaling supply
and making it commercially viable at scale
requires both public policy and private
action. For example, even though Alaska
Airlines has been using SAF since they
started demonstration flights in 2011, the
amount of SAF available today is still less
than 1% of total fuel demand.
49
FLYING TO NET ZERO

LOOKING AHEAD
Diana believes reaching aviation’s net-zero goals will require public policy and private
market action.
“We know we cannot reach our goals alone”, admits Diana.
That is why Alaska is doing its part by developing agreements to purchase and use SAF
from a diversity of suppliers; working with partners like SkyNRG and Twelve to support
their paths to produce new sources of supply; collaborating to develop book-and-claim
methodologies to share in the benefits of SAF; and engaging corporate customer partners
to help address the near-term financial hurdle of investing in these fuels and kick-start
the market.
In addition, Alaska not only collaborates across the industry, including with global
Oneworld alliance partners, but has created a diversity of partnerships such as with SAF
producers mentioned above; science advisory firm Carbon Direct; Microsoft; Boeing; and
Washington State University.
Alaska has also, very successfully, managed to engage and recruit customers into flying
more sustainably. For instance, in November 2021, Alaska Airlines switched to 100% boxed
water. According to the airline, the boxed water is packaged in recyclable, 92% plant
material sourced from sustainably harvested trees. Even the resealable cap comes from
leftover materials in the paper-making process. Furthermore, pivoting to boxed water is
expected to eliminate 1.8 million pounds of plastic waste.
“The level of continued learning and innovation happening in aviation specifically and
clean tech more broadly is truly incredible,” Diana marvels. Last year, Alaska Airlines
established Alaska Star Ventures, a venture arm to scale access to this innovation and
identify and enable technologies that can accelerate the airline’s path to net zero. “We’re
proud to have made initial investments in two venture funds, The Westly Group and
UP.Partners, focused on clean energy and advanced air mobility respectively. And in
ZeroAvia who are working to develop a hydrogen-electric powertrain that could retrofit
regional aircraft to future zero-emissions propulsion.”

50
51
FLYING TO NET ZERO

The biggest challenge in sustainability is convincing

management and changing the mindset of staff
members to discontinue their way of thinking and
adhere to a more responsible approach and
incorporate sustainable work practices.
Dhanushka De Silva
Former Environmental Affairs & Sustainability Manager at SriLankan

52
SRILANKAN AIRLINES
SUSTAINABILITY OVERVIEW
While Sri Lanka’s political and economic meltdown grabbed international attention in
the last year, the national airline continued to make quiet progress towards a more
sustainable planet.
In October 2022, SriLankan Airlines won the Best Aviation Sustainability Program
Award, beating 118 other submissions at the SMBR Global Aviation Awards for its
signature upcycle project, ‘Mathaka.’ Project Mathaka was SriLankan Airlines’ answer to
minimising its contribution to landfill waste and ecological footprint by repurposing the
airline’s scrap material into a variety of lifestyle products.
SriLankan partnered with House of Lonali, a Sri Lankan organisation that designs and
manufactures upcycled lifestyle products, to develop the exclusive range of products
under the ‘Mathaka’ brand such as travel bags, wallets and jewellery. The items, made
entirely from disposed airline uniforms, aircraft interior components and other material,
will eventually be introduced for sale onboard SriLankan Airlines’ flights and through the
website and retail partners of House of Lonali.

MEET THE CHANGEMAKER

Dhanushka De Silva, Former Environmental Affairs & Sustainability Manager at
SriLankan Airlines is an aviation enthusiast with over 23 years of experience at Sri Lanka’s
national flag carrier. He holds a specialisation in ‘aviation environment management’. For
the airline, Dhanushka was engaged in various programmes and efforts such as Carbon
Offset and Reduction Scheme for International Aviation (CORSIA), Global Market Based
Measures (GMBM), European Union Emission Trading Scheme (EU EST), SAF and United
for Wildlife, the global initiative to crack down the global illegal wildlife trafficking. In
October 2022, Dhanushka moved on from his position, but not before giving us some
valuable time and insights into SriLankan's strategy.
Dhanushka was responsible for establishing the environment unit at SriLankan and
developing the airline’s strategy on environment conservation while introducing green
initiatives throughout the airline. “This led SriLankan to be recognised and praised by
IATA as one of the most environmentally conscious airlines in the region”, he proudly says.
It’s worth noting that SriLankan was the first airline in Asia to introduce ‘Planet Friendly
Flights’ back in 2009 and was named the second lowest carbon emitting airline in the
Asia-Pacific in 2016 by Business Traveller. Since 2015, it has also had a voluntary carbon
offsetting programme called Fly Green.

53
FLYING TO NET ZERO

OPPORTUNITIES AND CHALLENGES

For Dhanushka, the challenge and is highly valued and these factors push
inspiration for his work lie in elevating the the industry towards more sustainable
airline to be at par with other industry initiatives.
leaders. “Being sustainable is being
Unsurprisingly, Dhanushka says the
creative, especially when you are short of
industry should invest collectively in SAF
funds and the environment is not on your
development, as it will bring in the highest
organisation's priority list”, he says.
emission reductions. His reservations, like
“When the industry is going through his counterparts at other airlines are the
the toughest period in history, higher costs, due to which it becomes the
convincing management and hardest and most important resource to
continuing with sustainability develop and acquire.
initiatives is the real challenge.” “I believe it is better if the industry could
However, there are reasons to be collect funds from global market-based
hopeful. Dhanushka believes the greatest mechanisms and channel them into more
opportunity is the change in passenger SAF development, so it will be affordable
behaviour, perspective, and expectation and equally available to everyone”, he
toward greener travel. He firmly believes explains. “This will be beneficial to all
people are becoming more responsible partners in the industry and especially to
towards selecting sustainable services and airlines to reduce their emissions and meet
are more inquisitive about service providers' net zero targets.”
track records. In addition, transparency

Source: SriLankan Airlines

SriLankan Airlines featured ‘Mathaka’, its latest up-cycled lifestyle accessory range at the Mercedes-
Benz Fashion Week – Sri Lanka, on 10th December 2021

54
 Source: SriLankan Airlines
SriLankan Airlines steered a reforestation initiative together with the Forest Department of Sri Lanka and
athletes participating in the second leg of Raid Amazones 2022, March 2022

LOOKING AHEAD
Most recently, in November 2022, SriLankan announced a partnership with the Sri Lanka
Forest Department to establish a new Mangrove Forestation site in the Negombo Lagoon
that will span 3 hectares. As an initial step, the airline constructed an onsite mangrove
nursery and staff volunteers planted 1000 mangrove propagules to kick start the project.
The airline hopes to plant 5000 more in the coming months.
The airline says it is also championing blue carbon stock restoration, ocean and marine life
conservation through research and knowledge sharing.
This follows Dhanushka’s general philosophy: “Try to do what you can do to make the
world a better place,” he says.
“Every little initiative or strategy is worth it if you do it right and with the
correct intention. Be transparent, communicate properly and effectively,
explore all possibilities, be creative and encourage out-of-the-box ideas.”
However, Dhanushka is quick to warn that airlines must not waste their time with big
ideas if they do not have proper funding. It is better to stick with initiatives that can be
tackled and completed with tangible results.
His final word of advice is that airlines must learn to communicate better. “I believe
communication is the key to being successful”, he says. “But it could work adversely
if you are not being careful. Moreover, timing is important. If you do not put out your
communique on time, it is not worth the effort.”

55
FLYING TO NET ZERO

Progress, in aviation specifically, is likely to be slow and

laboured. Due to its sheer nature — and no easy electric
replacements such as in the automotive or rail industries —
aviation will chart a complex path to decarbonisation.
Shubhodeep Pal
Chief Operating Officer
SimpliFlying

56