Air Europa participates in SkyTeam’s “The Aviation Challenge”
For the third consecutive year, Air Europa has participated in the challenge organized by the SkyTeam alliance to contribute to accelerating sustainable innovation in the aviation industry, by sharing learnings through a friendly competition.
For the 2024 edition, renamed “The Aviation Challenge,” the airline has optimized all aspects of a long-haul flight from Madrid-Barajas airport to Santo Domingo in the Dominican Republic. The aim of the initiative is to demonstrate the feasibility of implementing improvements aimed at making operations more efficient and contributing to a more sustainable industry in every sense.
On this occasion, Air Europa connected both sides of the Atlantic with a Boeing 787 Dreamliner, the most modern and efficient long-haul model on the market. To reduce emissions as much as possible, it operated with 2% sustainable SAF fuel in its tanks, something it is already doing on some of its routes, even before the date on which the European Union will make the use of this type of fuel mandatory. In addition, the most efficient route was chosen, artificial intelligence was used to distribute the catering load and lighter containers were used in the holds to reduce consumption by reducing the weight of the aircraft. The flight had an occupancy rate of close to 100%, making full use of its storage capacity, thus reducing emissions per passenger.
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Both inside and outside the aircraft, measures were implemented to make operations more balanced. A catering service was set up with new menu containers, and plastic wrapping for blankets and pillows was eliminated. The airline informed passengers on this flight to take measures to minimize environmental impact, starting with online check-in to reduce paper waste. Also, the location of the signature office is strategic, allowing the crew to access the aircraft on foot. For ground operations, several electric vehicles from Groundforce, Globalia’s handling company, were deployed.
In addition to technical aspects, Air Europa focused on social aspects. Parity criteria were applied in the selection of the employees assigned to the flight. The trip was also used to transport to Boca Chica, in Santo Domingo, a shipment of clothes and school supplies for the more than 90 children between 3 and 6 years of age at risk of exclusion cared for by Fundación La Matica, with which the company has been collaborating for years. The airline’s own employees were responsible for providing the products and collecting them. In addition, an agreement has been signed with La Matica with a financial contribution.
In the 2024 edition, The Aviation Challenge expands its vision and scope to help drive change throughout the aviation industry. Following more than 70 flights operated in 2023 and more than 400 ideas proposed over time, this time the organization is looking to put those solutions into practice to demonstrate their impact and feasibility. A total of 24 airlines, including some non-SkyTeam members, are joining the challenge. Participants are eligible for prizes in 18 categories; finalists in each category will be announced in December.
In 2023, Air Europa won the “Lowest CO2 emissions on a short-haul flight” and “Lowest CO2 emissions for ground operations” awards in this challenge. It was also a finalist in the category “Greatest reduction of CO2 emissions on short-haul flights”.
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Plataforma Informativa de Aviación Comercial con 13 años de trayectoria.