In our last airline sustainability piece, we introduced some of the steps that airlines are taking toward clearer skies, touching on one of the airline sustainability buzzwords, SAF (Sustainable Aviation Fuels) and how airlines are providing bolt-on purchase options to help offset their personal emissions.
This time around, we take a look at how Air Canada, Malaysian Airlines, Emirates and Etihad are flying the sustainability flag by reducing and removing waste and emissions.
Air Canada
Air Canada has implemented numerous comprehensive initiatives as part of its Climate Action Plan and an additional step toward achieving the airline's long-term goal of net-zero Green House Gas emissions (GHG) by 2050. Here are the headliners…
SAF
As it’s the aviation industry’s main strategy for reducing emissions, we also have to point out that SAF features heavily in Air Canada’s plans. According to IATA, SAF has the potential to provide a lifecycle GHG emissions reduction of up to 80% compared to conventional jet fuel. They’ve set their sights on delivering SAF from San Francisco, California to the airport's main fuel storage system and a blend of 30/70 will be used to fuel the aircraft. Through four flights (departing from San Francisco to its major hubs in Toronto, Vancouver, Calgary, and Montreal), Air Canada will reduce emissions by approximately 39 tonnes of CO2e, compared with the combustion of conventional fossil jet fuel. This represents the equivalent of two round trips between Ottawa and Vancouver, or roughly 19,000 km, by car.
Along this, Air Canada's Leave Less Travel Program offers corporate customers the ability to purchase SAF, carbon offsets or a combination of both to offset or reduce GHG emissions related to business travel and reduce their carbon footprint.
YVR shuttle service goes electric
Air Canada’s shuttle service from Vancouver airport has gone 100% electric. The daily service, which operates more than 150 itineraries, is now operated by fully electric vehicles instead of conventional gasoline-powered ones. Under our climate plan, Air Canada is targeting a 30% decrease in emissions released by ground operations compared to our 2019 baseline. The electrification of the YVR shuttle service is an important step in achieving this goal.
The e-shuttle service operation will release 98.7% fewer emissions than conventional shuttle buses, which need about 95,000 litres of gasoline each year to operate. The e-fleet minimizes exhaust emissions and significantly reduces spend on maintenance and fuel. Over the course of a year, operating the YVR e-fleet will reduce GHG emissions by roughly 295 tonnes of CO2e, equivalent to 570 passengers flying Vancouver-Montréal roundtrip in economy.
Malaysia Airlines
Malaysia Airlines introduced its sustainability blueprint in 2020, committing to achieve socio-economic development and reaching net zero carbon emissions by 2050.
The blueprint includes pilots using idle reverse thrust power while stopping the aircraft that allows for 18kg of fuel to be saved per landing, which over the course of a month saves approximately 3,420kg of CO2.
Reducing aircraft cabin waste
Changes on board include a reduction of 368.74 metric tons of CO2 by removing physical magazines from the aircraft and lounges and replacing it with a digital version with even more content. Sub-cycling is the process of transforming waste items such as leather seats, lifejackets and uniforms into handbags, aprons and toiletry bags.
For the squeamish readers among you, you might want to skip this next section, but this is fantastically innovative and wonderfully unique. Malaysia Airlines have partnered with Unique Biotech (UB) to reduce aircraft cabin waste, destined for landfill. UB recycles the food waste through farming of black soldier fly larvae and converts the food waste to animal feed and fertilisers. Since mid-May 2021, IFO has sent kitchen waste to UB sites to upcycle food waste with black soldier larvae technology.
Emirates
Uniquely, the airline has attracted the attention of aviation fans and collectors with a selection of bespoke furniture and unique collectables made from the first A380 ever delivered to Emirates (A6-EDA) and which has been retired from the skies.
Its Economy Class blankets on long‑haul flights are made from 100% recycled plastic bottles and each blanket is made from 28 bottles, which have been chipped, spun into yarn, and woven into soft, warm and sustainable blankets. Using these blankets both prevents the plastic bottles from ending up in landfill and saves energy and emissions in the manufacturing process compared to using new plastic materials.
Cleaning up
Emirates Engineering ensures that aircraft are performing at their optimum level at all times. And its engine washing procedures keep internal engine components clean, maintaining fuel‑efficient performance and prolonging the useful life of the engine. Emirates also regularly cleans aircraft with a water‑saving ‘drywash’ procedure, which uses a small amount of cleaning agent applied with cloths. This procedure saves thousands of litres of water each wash and having a clean aircraft exterior helps to reduce fuel consumption and emissions by making the aircraft lighter and more aerodynamic.
Back on solid ground
The Dubai-based airline, Emirates has also been supporting a sustainable and balanced ecosystem at the Dubai Desert Conservation Reserve (DDCR) through an ongoing investment of over USD $7.6million. The funding has helped to preserve Dubai’s unique desert environment that is teeming with indigenous flora and fauna of all shapes and sizes and has helped to raise awareness about the abundant natural beauty found in the UAE’s terrestrial ecosystems.
Etihad
July 2022 saw the inaugural flight of Etihad Airways' new A380 aircraft, the Sustainability50. Part of Etihad’s, ‘Sustainable50’ programme of the same name, which was formed as a partnership between Etihad, Airbus and Rolls Royce in 2021, it will see Etihad’s A380s used as flying testbeds of new initiatives, procedures, and technologies to reduce carbon emissions, building on the learnings.
Sustainable50
The Rolls-Royce Trent XWB-powered Airbus A350 is one of the most efficient aircraft types in the world, with 25% less fuel burn and CO2 emissions than previous-generation twin-aisle aircraft.
Etihad recently established a formal framework with Airbus to collaborate on sustainability across a number of areas including the promotion and commercialisation of sustainable aviation fuel, waste and weight management, and the development of data-driven analysis.
Sustainability-driven economy experience
New products have been designed with sustainability and improved guest experience as primary objectives. Its new Economy class experience includes reusable tableware made from recycled high-quality plastic and eliminates the use of single-use plastic. The tray, serving plates and their lids are part of a closed-loop recycling system. At the end of their lifecycle, they are collected, washed, ground and reused to make new replacement products. Etihad is also introducing quality stainless-steel cutlery into the Economy cabin which upgrades the experience and also reduces single-use plastic.
In 2019, Etihad committed to removing 80% of single-use plastic from its operation by the end of 2022 and the introduction of this new inflight equipment ensures the airline meets this sustainability goal. Where possible, Etihad is also moving towards locally produced items which will further improve the overall environmental impact of the operation.
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