Aviation Business News

“The most comprehensive cross-organisational aviation sustainability initiative ever taken”: Etihad expands strategic sustainability programme

Etihad Airways has expanded its sustainability programme by signing multiple partnership and collaboration agreements with aviation industry manufacturers, suppliers, and stakeholders at the 2021 Dubai Airshow.

The airline has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with Lufthansa Technik AG to explore digital solutions; an MoU with Satavia to form a partnership focussing on reducing the airline’s non-CO2 footprint via advanced flight planning optimisation; a Joint Project Development Agreement (JOP) with Tadweer (Abu Dhabi Waste Management Center) on waste to fuel initiatives; and an MoU with The Storey Group to explore and maximise all efforts towards decarbonisation.

The programme, which to date has been focused on the airline’s fleet of GEnX powered Boeing 787’s under the ‘Greenliner Programme’, will now be complimented by a similar programme focussed on maximising the opportunities presented by the inclusion of the Rolls Royce XWB powered Airbus A350 fleet.

“There’s no silver bullet for this one, no obvious single act that will provide a solution. It’s going to require the combination and the sum of many different organisations and governments working together for small, incremental improvements,” said Etihad Aviation’s group chief executive officer Tony Douglas at the Dubai Airshow.

“Governments and regulators must help the industry to drive innovation for long-term solutions to decarbonising aviation. Support is needed for development of affordable and sufficient supply of sustainable fuels. Optimising flight paths on the busiest routes in the world would prevent untold amounts of Co2 from being pumped into the atmosphere. There is a big opportunity here that doesn’t require any new technology to implement and could be implemented today if there was a will.

“We need to be bold in addressing the climate issues facing the planet. We need to be decisive. There is no other way forward. That is why we have been insistent that we continue to focus on the challenges and opportunities, many of which are available today, as a fundamental strategic priority for our business, spearheaded by the Etihad Sustainability Programme comprising the Etihad 787 Greenliner and Airbus A350 Sustainability50 fleets, and the many partners who have now joined in the crusade. We will succeed, because we must.”

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