Etihad A350-1000

Etihad “Sustainability 50”

Our recent white paper (read and download it on our sustainability hub), talks about how sustainability is now an important part of an airline’s brand.

One example of an airline that recognises that is Etihad.

That was clear at a media event I attended in London hosted by Etihad and engine manufacturer Rolls Royce, followed by a tour of Etihad’s new “sustainability 50” A3501000 at Heathrow the next day.

What stood out was that sustainability had been internalised both at the top of the organisation, as well as by front line staff.

In his speech at the event, Etihad CEO Tony Douglas was refreshingly honest about the challenges faced by the industry.

For example, an October 2021 flight featuring the 787 “Greenliner” had 38% SAF, as well as assistance from Eurocontrol to shorten the route, conditions that, Tony Douglas said, can’t realistically be repeated on a day-to-day basis.

Tony Douglas also admitted that much of the burden and the second part of the journey to reach net zero would have to be carried by the next generation.

In a piece in this magazine, SimplIFlying CEO Shashank Nigam warns airlines against ‘greenwashing.’ To avoid that, this kind of buy-in and honesty both at a C-Suite level and also with staff on the ground is an important step.