Etihad Airways has signed multiple partnership and collaboration agreements with the aviation industry’s top manufactures, suppliers and stakeholders to drive decarbonisation as part of its sustainability programme.
The deals, announced at the 2021 Dubai Airshow, aim to create the industry’s most comprehensive multi-organisational partnership to reduce Co2 emissions globally.
The airline’s sustainability programme, which to date has been focused on the airline’s fleet of GEnX powered Boeing 787’s under the Greenliner Programme, will now be complimented by a similar programme focused on maximising the opportunities presented by the inclusion of the Rolls Royce XWB powered Airbus A350 fleet.
Etihad’s work with partners including Boeing, GE, Airbus and Rolls Royce supports the organisation’s strategic objectives to achieve a 20 percent reduction in emissions intensity in its passenger fleet by 2025, cut 2019 net emissions by 50 percent by 2035, and reach net zero emissions by 2050.
Tony Douglas, group CEO, Etihad Aviation Group, said: “There’s no silver bullet for this one, no obvious single act that will provide a solution. It’s going to require the combination and the sum of many different organisations and governments working together for small, incremental improvements.
“Governments and regulators must help the industry to drive innovation for long-term solutions to decarbonising aviation. Support is needed for development of affordable and sufficient supply of sustainable fuels. Optimising flight paths on the busiest routes in the world would prevent untold amounts of Co2 from being pumped into the atmosphere.
“There is a big opportunity here that doesn’t require any new technology to implement and could be implemented today if there was a will.”
Following the success of the program over the past two years, Etihad said it has revised its targets for CO2 reduction and is committed to remaining at 50 percent of 2019 emissions as flight operations grow in the post-pandemic world.
Stan Deal, president and CEO of Boeing Commercial Airplanes, said: “Partnership is critically important to decarbonize our industry, and we are honored to work side-by-side with Etihad to advance sustainable aviation. Our flight test programs and other joint efforts over the past two years have clearly demonstrated the value of industry collaboration.”
John Slattery, president and CEO of GE Aviation, added: “Decarbonisation is a challenge that the entire aviation industry faces. The only way that we can address it is with agreements like this MOU with Etihad.”
Etihad’s partnership with Airbus establishes a formal framework to collaborate for sustainability across a number of core areas on Etihad’s A350 fleet. Key areas for collaboration include the promotion and commercialisation of sustainable aviation fuel, waste and weight management, and the development of data driven analysis.
Mikail Houari, president Airbus Africa Middle East, said: “Less fuel consumption and lower operating costs mean business sustainability as well as improved environmental performance. We are looking forward to building on our long-standing relationship with Etihad Airways.”
Douglas added: “We need to be bold in addressing the climate issues facing the planet. We need to be decisive. There is no other way forward… We will succeed, because we must.”
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