For our holiday round-up, we’re presenting insights from conversations with 6 industry executives. Happy holidays! 🎄
Throughout 2024, we’ve had conversations with leaders and innovators who are reshaping aviation’s future. From airlines and manufacturers to airports and industry groups, these discussions have revealed the multifaceted approaches being taken to decarbonise the sector.
This special episode synthesises key insights from 6 interviews, revealing how different areas of the aviation industry are tackling common challenges through diverse approaches.
1. Airline strategies
Scandinavian Airlines (SAS) demonstrates how regional context influences sustainability strategy.
President & CEO Anko van der Werff describes how Scandinavian environmental consciousness shapes their approach: “Scandinavia is truly different... They live so much more with the outdoors. They’re so much more respectful of the outdoors than I think anywhere that I’ve seen where I’ve lived.”
SAS has developed a three-part strategy encompassing sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) adoption, electric aviation partnerships with Heart Aerospace, and hydrogen technology research with Airbus.
Their commitment extends to practical implementation, evidenced by their scheduled electric-powered flight for 2028, which sold out immediately upon announcement.
Alaska Airlines has established a 2040 net-zero emissions target, ahead of the industry’s 2050 standard.
SVP of Public Affairs & Sustainability Diana Birkett Rakow details Alaska Airlines’ five-component approach: operational efficiency, fleet modernisation, SAF adoption, new technology investment, and carbon credits as a supplementary measure.
The airline also links 10% of employee bonuses to carbon intensity targets and has implemented a rewards program offering elite qualifying miles for SAF credit purchases, introducing new mechanisms for customer participation in sustainability efforts.
Alaska has also established a partnership with Microsoft and carbon-transformation company Twelve, with Twelve constructing a facility in Washington State to produce synthetic fuel using recaptured CO2, renewable energy, and water.
2. Manufacturing and infrastructure developments
In recent times, Boeing has found itself in the midst of a major crisis, beginning with two fatal crashes involving the 737 Max in 2018 and 2019, aggravated by recent safety failures. Chief Sustainability Officer Brian Moran addresses Boeing’s efforts to rebuild trust in the wake of challenges and emphasises the interconnectedness of safety and sustainability.
Boeing’s approach to aviation sustainability centres on their “SAF&” strategy, says Moran. Following their first commercial SAF test flight with Virgin Atlantic in 2008, the manufacturer now aims for all new aircraft to be 100% SAF-compatible by 2030.
Boeing’s Cascade modelling tool, developed with MIT, Cambridge, IATA, and NASA, quantifies five improvement levers: fleet renewal, operational efficiency, renewable energy, future aircraft technology, and market-based measures.
Moreover, the company’s electric propulsion research continues through the Electrified Powertrain Flight Demonstration project, which involves retrofitting a Saab 340B turboprop with a megawatt-class hybrid engine.
Pittsburgh International Airport (PIT) is reimagining airports as energy innovation hubs rather than just transport facilities.
CEO Christina Cassotis reports the airport’s successful implementation of a microgrid combining natural gas and solar energy: “We are 100% off the grid, and we have been for three years. Everything, the terminal, the airfield, all 8,000 lights on the airfield – off the grid, 100%.”
PIT’s SAF strategy encompasses three distinct pathways: exploring alcohol-to-jet technology, supporting fugitive methane capture legislation, and testing hydrothermal liquefaction for converting organic waste into aviation fuel.
The airport is also positioning itself as a regional hydrogen hub and has transformed 10,000 square feet of terminal space into the xBridge, a testing ground for aviation innovation.
3. SAF Implementation
Truckee Tahoe Airport’s transition to becoming the first airport globally to fully adopt SAF marks a significant milestone in aviation sustainability.
Located just north of Lake Tahoe in the Sierra Nevada mountains of California, Truckee Tahoe Airport (KTRK) is a small but busy airport serving a district of around 50,000 residents.
General Manager Robb Etnyre explains that Truckee Tahoe Airport’s 30/70 SAF blend delivers approximately a 23% reduction in lifecycle greenhouse gas emissions compared to conventional jet fuel.
The airport sources its SAF from Neste, with weekly deliveries orchestrated through a carefully planned logistics chain.
Despite initial concerns about cost premiums, the airport has achieved price parity with conventional jet fuel at $8 per gallon, which Etnyre sees as a watershed moment for sustainable aviation.
International Airlines Group (IAG) is the parent company of 5 major airlines — British Airways, Iberia, Vueling, Aer Lingus and LEVEL — and plays a critical role in setting the sustainability strategy and targets for its subsidiary airlines.
IAG was the first aviation group to commit to net zero emissions. Their decarbonisation strategy comprises four pillars: operational efficiencies and new aircraft, SAF, carbon removals and market-based measures and offsets.
The group has made SAF a key part of its sustainability strategy, committing to meet 10% of its fuel needs with SAF by 2030. It was the first European airline group to set this target.
Jonathon Counsell, Group Head of Sustainability, addresses the crucial question of who bears the cost of sustainable aviation: “Ultimately, the customer of the carbon-intensive product has to pay for it... The important piece, though, is that we manage it in an optimised transition, and that there’s no competitive distortion [among airlines].”
Looking ahead
As the aviation industry moves into 2025, achieving sustainability goals will require continued advancement on multiple fronts:
While SAF production must scale significantly to meet growing demand and reduce costs, infrastructure development needs to support both current and emerging technologies.
Policy frameworks must also evolve to provide consistent, long-term support for sustainable aviation initiatives.
Perhaps most importantly, the industry must maintain its commitment to innovation while ensuring that sustainable solutions remain economically viable.
The experiences shared by these industry leaders demonstrate that while the path to net-zero aviation presents significant challenges, the sector has developed practical approaches to address them. Through continued collaboration, investment in new technologies, and commitment to sustainability goals, the aviation industry is laying the groundwork for a more sustainable future of flight.
‘Sustainability in the Air’ is the world’s leading podcast dedicated to sustainable aviation. Through in-depth conversations with top aviation leaders, we break through the clutter and provide a clear roadmap for a net-zero future.
This episode is brought to you by 4AIR. 4AIR’s industry-first framework aims to tackle aviation’s climate impact — offering clear, verifiable pathways to reduce and counteract aircraft emissions. Their new Assure SAF Registry makes it easier than ever to manage and claim SAF usage across the industry. Learn more here.
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