SUSTAINABLE TRAVELLER

Radisson Hotel Group signs Glasgow Declaration at COP27

Radisson Hotel Group signed the Glasgow Declaration at the recently concluded COP27 assembly in Egypt. e Glasgow Declaration on Climate Action in Tourism aims to secure commitments to halve emissions over the next decade and reach net zero emissions either by 2050, or earlier if possible.

Radisson, therefore, aims to reduce its Scope 1 and Scope 2 greenhouse emissions by 46 per cent by 2030, compared to 2019 as a base year. It also commits to reducing absolute Scope 3 greenhouse emissions from fuel and energy-related activities and franchises by 28 per cent over the same timeframe. Over the past 10 years, Radisson says that it has achieved energy e ciency savings of 30 per cent. Additionally, the group has o set over 45,000 tonnes of carbon for clients with its 100 per cent Carbon Neutral meetings. NEOM INVESTS US$175 MILLION INTO VOLOCOPTER

Neom, the upcoming giga project in Saudi Arabia, has announced a US$175 million Series E investment in urban air mobility provider Volocopter. Neom “will take a significant equity stake in the company as part of its strategic engagement with the global (electric Vertical Take-O and Landing) eVTOL industry,” according to a report by Saudi Press Agency.

In collaboration with Saudi Arabia’s General Authority of Civil Aviation (GACA), Neom and Volocopter are implementing a national test bed in Saudi to enable the integration of eVTOLs with zeroemission future urban mobility. Neom aims to implement a mobility system powered by 100 per cent renewable energy. In December last year, Neom and Volocopter agreed to a joint venture whereby Volocopter will operate electric air taxi services in Neom to connect various regions including The Line, Oxagon and Trojena.

QUOTE OF THE MONTH Our planet is still in the emergency room. The red line we must not cross is the line that takes our planet over the 1.5-degree temperature limit. A fund for loss and damage is essential – but it’s not an answer if the climate crisis washes a small island state o the map – or turns an entire African country to desert

Remarks by United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres at the end of the Cop27 conference in Egypt

Etihad partnered with World Energy to operate Net Zero Flight from Washington DC to Abu Dhabi by o setting 100 per cent emissions through a Book & Claim system:

27,000

e number of gallons of SAF that Etihad purchased from World Energy

98.2%

Flight load – carbon intensity

5.04 tonnes

e additional carbon dioxide reduction from ight operation e ciencies

216 tonnes

e amount of carbon dioxide burned on the EY130 ight ETIHAD BECOMES THE FIRST AIRLINE TO PARTICIPATE IN WORLD ENERGY NET-ZERO PROGRAMME

Last month, Etihad signed an MoU with carbon-net-zero solutions provider World Energy. The agreement aims to decarbonise flights through in-sector emissions reductions. World Energy will deliver sustainable aviation fuel to Los Angeles airport (LAX), which will displace conventional fossil fuel required by aircraft flying out of the airport. Etihad will receive the emission reductions in the form of SAF certificates (SAFc) once World Energy blends the SAF and it achieves “drop-in” ASTM certification. Etihad will also be able to include its customers on those certificates, which will in turn allow them to mitigate the emissions related to their business flights.

On a wing

Holger Ostheimer, managing director at Dubai-based DC Aviation Al-Futtaim, is optimistic about the growth of the private jet market regionally and beyond

Give us an overview of the

operations of DC Aviation Al-Futtaim.

DC Aviation Al-Futtaim is a joint venture between Stuttgart-based DC Aviation, the largest operator of business jets in Germany and one of the leading operators in Europe and Dubai-based Al-Futtaim, a privately owned UAE business conglomerate. We were the first international outpost of the group and began operating out of Dubai in November 2013. We operate ground operations to support aircraft and undertake passenger handling services. We’ve set up an Aircraft Operators Certificate under UAE regulations. We are an established entity in the maintenance of aircraft with licences from Germany and the UAE. We provide charter services with our own as well as external aircraft, and have two large hangars totalling 13,500 sqm.

How strong is the demand for private aviation and charter services globally?

North America is the largest market for private jets in the world and accounts for nearly two-thirds of the global fleet. In terms of overall private jet activities – which includes owner aircraft and charter operations – in the US, it’s up 20 per cent compared to pre-Covid levels. In Europe, it’s about 50 per cent higher. In the rest of the world, under which the Middle East is a part, it is 55 per cent higher compared to 2019. Due to the limitation on the available capacity and high utilisation of aircraft, charter rates are approximately 20 per cent higher than in 2019 too.

What gives DC Aviation Al-Futtaim an edge over its peers?

Ours is a 360-degree approach. At DC Aviation Al-Futtaim, we are an integrated service provider. Once you buy yourself an aircraft, we will take care of its servicing, registration and compliance too. We have a maintenance organisation and we look after crew members as well. If your base is Munich or Dubai, we also provide shelter options for you. We have a standalone facility. From the time you leave your limousine curbside as you arrive here, to walking into the lounges and entering the aircraft, you can do it all in under a minute. We ensure the highest levels of privacy and that interaction with others is kept to a minimum.

What levels of service are required to cater to high net worth individuals using private jets?

A bespoke approach to service is essential. When you engage and interface with a client, it needs to be individualised. People of wealth have a certain level of self perception and have a high level of expectations. That is something that very much needs to steer the direction in how you approach this clientele.

What are some of the challenges to your business that you foresee for 2023?

As far as forecasts for 2023 are concerned, we do not assume to continue at the same high level [of growth] considering challenges such as inflation. Inflation seems though to have plateaued at the moment. There are other unknowns such as the volatility in the cryptocurrency market and inconsistent trends in worldwide stock markets. It’s very difficult to predict exactly what might happen, but in our region, we have upsides such as a community of high net worth and ultra high net worth individuals who will probably remain resilient to market conditions entering into 2023.

What are DC Aviation's expansion plans for 2023?

DC Aviation won the bid to begin operations at Nice airport from January 1, 2023. Nice is a very significant location in the international landscape of private aviation. Regionally, in Saudi, we have been discussing with our likely partner to enter for the past few years, but it will take probably a little more time for us to enter that market.