How Are Airline Businesses Trying To Promote Environmental Flying?
The number of travelers supporting eco-friendly flight experiences is increasing. It has led the airline industry to understand the importance of sustainability and environmental flying. They have already started their mission to minimize carbon emissions for the environment. Many conferences in the aviation industry are discussing sustainability. Sustainability means trying to meet the requirements of the present, keeping in mind the needs of the future generation.
Now several options are available in front of the airline industry, helping them to encourage environmental flying. As more sustainable features are offered, passengers get to choose different greener solutions. Every green step taken in the field of aviation is expecting changes in consumer trends. They are milestones in providing environment-friendly flight travel, which in turn protects the planet.
The airline industry is taking environmental issues seriously, which is visible in their steps like carbon offsets, avoiding single-use plastics, etc. However, several airline professionals and experts suggest that even though several steps are taken to curb the environmental effects of flying, airlines must put in more effort to encourage the same.
It is not possible to expect zero emissions from a flight soon. But it can try and reduce its carbon footprint. Many studies and researches are in progress that try to make possible a completely environmentally-friendly flight journey. Here are some of the trends used by the airline industry to support environmental flying.
- Decrease fuel consumption
Increasing fuel efficiency in flying will decrease greenhouse gasses. Several airlines are following this goal by decreasing airline weight. The current aircraft can also embrace biofuels and single-use plastics to minimize fuel consumption.
- Biofuels
In June 2019, United Airlines operated history’s most eco-friendly flight. They used a 30/70 blend of low-carbon and conventional jet fuel. It is an efficient sustainability practice to use biofuels. However, they are quite expensive than the conventional jet fuel.
- Avoiding Single-Use Plastics
Several airlines are finding ways to change the buying habits of consumers. They are trying to compromise inflight duty-free sales. It will avoid the need to take additional inventories, decrease fuel consumption, and address the modern purchase habits of flight travelers.
- Choose local food services
Offering seasonal and locally-sourced food decreases carbon footprint in the process of food transportation. Most lettuce in the airlines are shipped from Arizona or California. Singapore Airlines was the first to introduce the concept of “farm-to-plane” in the longest flight in the world.
- Carbon offsets
Protecting the existing forests and planting new trees can be a great protection for the environment. Therefore, it is a good idea to invest in wind farms and other projects that produce renewable energy sources. Some airlines provide options to passengers to buy carbon offsets.
- Create awareness among the passengers
Every passenger will not know the environmental problems the world suffers from. Two ways that can promote sustainability in flights are by traveling in economic classes and by taking light backpacks. If the plane is lighter, the fuel consumption will be less.