Etihad Airways, the national airline of the United Arab Emirates, has published its 2023 annual environment report on the Nov. 28, 2024. The airline’s environment report details its commitment to ongoing environmental goals, along with the progress they have made. The airline recorded a 45.3% improvement in passenger carbon intensity compared to 2019.
A Commitment to Sustainability
Etihad’s sustainability plan is to achieve emissions reductions through in-sector measures and collaborating with UAE industrial ecosystems. They aim to remain transparent and proactive about environmental and sustainability issues in the aviation industry and continuously update its strategic targets.
Etihad’s Chief Executive Officer, Antonoaldo Neves, has commented on their environmental strategy.
We remain focused on a strategy that supports change, growth, and economic development. We believe that sustainable aviation development is achieved through many small efforts combined. Our comprehensive and coordinated approach aims to decarbonise aviation and mitigate its negative impacts.
The aviation industry has acknowledged their commitment to sustainability. Etihad Airlines received the title of Environmental Airline of the Year 2023 for the second year running in the Airline Ratings awards in May 2023.
In 2023, the airline achieved a 45.3% improvement in passenger carbon intensity compared to 2019. This year their carbon intensity was 475 grams of CO₂ per Revenue Tonne Kilometre (RTK) for passengers.
Rapidly phasing out fossil fuels in aviation is extremely challenging and requires a complete industry redesign. This transformation will occur gradually over time. With air travel expected to continue growing, we are committed to balancing carbon reduction with commercial demand to meet future needs responsibly,” says Antonoaldo Neves.
Etihad is dedicated to researching alternative fuels, specifically “sustainable aviation fuels”, and has participated in numerous projects. In 2023, Etihad launched a study in collaboration with Masdar, ADNOC, BP, and Tadweer. This study is used to evaluate the possibility for commercial production of Sustainable Aviation Fuel (SAF) utilising Municipal Solid Waste (MSW) and renewable hydrogen.
Highlights from the 2023 environmental report
Let’s look at some of the key highlights from the 2023 environmental report for Etihad Airlines.
What about fuel efficiency objectives?
- The Fuel Efficiency Working Group successfully reduced over 35,000 tonnes of CO₂ through streamlined planning, which is equivalent to saving over 11,000 tonnes of fuel.
- Over 1,000 passengers participated in the CarbonClick initiative, which successfully offset over 1.5 million kilograms of CO₂.
- The Boeing Jeppesen FliteDeck Advisor contributed to saving 8,389 tonnes of CO₂ and 2,655 tonnes of fuel.
What were the new sustainability efforts?
- With the introduction of the Economy Evolution initiative, they eliminated over 233 million single-use plastic items from onboard service.
- The airline successfully planted 182,000 mangrove trees as part of the Etihad Mangrove Forest project.
- Local sourcing now accounts for 36% of onboard products. This supports local economies while reducing carbon emissions and the environmental impact of shipping long distances.
- The implementation of the new Dry Wash method for aircraft resulted in 277 washes, saving 3,500 litres of water per narrowbody aircraft wash and 5,500 litres per widebody aircraft wash.
Etihad’s Airways Fleet
The modern and fuel-efficient fleet of Etihad Airways demonstrates the airline’s commitment to providing exceptional service and improving their environmental performance. The average age of their fleet is only 7.5 years.
Their fleet primarily consists of the Airbus A320 family and the Boeing 787 family. The Boeing 787 Dreamliner family is considered sustainable for a number of reasons, including its fuel efficiency. The Airbus A320 family of aircraft is considered a leader in sustainability in modern aviation with lower carbon emissions and sustainable fuel.
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