Air New Zealand was very busy pushing its green credentials last month, making several significant environmental announcements aimed at reducing its carbon footprint and operational costs.
The airline’s desire to be proactive with its sustainability policy was underscored when it appointed two leading figures in the space, British ecological Professor Tim Jackson and carbon emissions specialist Dr Suzi Kerr to Air New Zealand’s Sustainability Advisory Panel in October.
“Professor Jackson is at the forefront of research into sustainable economies…and international emissions expert Dr Suzi Kerr will share her expertise as we work toward our industry target of carbon neutral growth from 2020,” Air New Zealand chief executive officer Christopher Luxon said.
In line with this push, Air New Zealand is currently trialling the electrical refuelling of its onboard systems at the gate instead of deploying conventional refuelling methods. The carrier was pleased to report that in the first month of the experiment an estimated 188,000 litres of gas was saved in addition to a 4,500-tonne reduction in carbon emissions as a result.
Other recent initiatives have included a joint trial with Virgin Australia to source aviation biofuel locally and the appointment of a sustainable coffee supplier to service its flights.
