Air Europa once again joins sustainable challenge of SkyTeam with its most efficient and equal flight
For the second consecutive year, the airline is taking part in the competition organised by the alliance with a flight between Madrid and Amsterdam that was optimised to minimise its impact on the environment
Air Europa continues to take firm steps towards sustainability. The airline, which for years has been carrying out specific actions and programmes aimed at reducing its impact on the environment, increasing efficiency, and achieving greater social balance, made some of these initiatives visible on Saturday 20 May.
The company connected Madrid and Amsterdam in a round-trip flight that became the most sustainable of the year. To do so, it used an aircraft of its most representative model, the Boeing 787 Dreamliner, optimising all aspects of the operation in order to demonstrate how it is possible to contribute to the decarbonisation of air travel and innovate to achieve a better future. The initiative is part, for the second consecutive year, of "The Sustainable Flight Challenge", which the SkyTeam alliance is proposing to all its airlines.
"The Sustainable Flight Challenge" is a unique proposal in the sector consisting of a friendly competition between the airlines that are members of the alliance and some of its subsidiaries, to contribute to the acceleration of innovation and change in the sector, reducing the impact on the environment as much as possible through good practices that can be implemented in daily operations. This year's challenge establishes a total of 33 different categories with seven main winners, distinguishing between short, medium and long-haul flights. Each of these categories will recognise the implementation of advanced accountability solutions with the aim that the most successful ones can be put into practice.
In the case of Air Europa, the flight operated, classified as short-haul, was organised to make both ground and air operations as efficient as possible. Among the most important measures adopted was the use of SAF (sustainable aviation fuel), produced by Repsol from renewable materials, such as non-food organic waste, to promote maximum circularity and sustainability. In addition, electric vehicles were used in the ground manoeuvres for loading, pulling, and towing the aircraft.
Air Europa's Space Control team worked with other areas of the company to define the optimal flight and date, both in terms of cargo and passengers, also defining the most suitable route to minimise fuel consumption.
On board, only fresh local products were offered in the gastronomic proposal, using biodegradable containers, glasses, and cutlery in all meals. All waste generated was separated for further processing and recycling, thus ensuring its transformation for new future uses.
In order to reduce paper consumption, online check-in was promoted to avoid passengers having to carry printed tickets. In addition, in-flight menus were provided on recycled paper while the Electronic Flight Bag system, which allows pilots to replace conventional flight documentation with digital material, was used.
People also played an important role. All crew members were selected based on parity to ensure an equal balance. In addition, the office was strategically located so that the entire team could walk to the facilities, thus avoiding the use of polluting transport systems.
In addition, the Dreamliner is one of the most efficient aircraft on the market, capable of reducing both emissions and fuel consumption by 20% thanks to its innovative aerodynamics and technology. The Boeing 787 also reduces noise impact by 60%, which is of significant benefit to people living near airports. The company has also placed sustainability at the heart of its ambitious 2023-2025 Strategic Plan, announced last March. In this regard, it has more than 40 actions underway aimed at contributing to an economically profitable sector that respects the environment and the social context. These actions include the development of equipment and systems for calculating more efficient routes and freight, and the application of the most advanced technology for the digitalisation of different aspects of operations.
"The Sustainable Flight Challenge" aims to help accelerate sustainable innovation and share knowledge among the different players in the aviation industry through a friendly competition. SkyTeam airlines united in this challenge seek to demonstrate that aviation can be more sustainable with a second edition that, on this occasion, has 22 participants.