SkyTeam

In TAC’s second year, we partnered with SkyTeam to further develop the challenge by increasing the number of participating airlines, putting a larger emphasis on adoption of innovations, and further professionalising the design and execution of the challenge. By sharing knowledge and encouraging friendly competition, TAC has sparked ideas that will lead to significant reductions in CO2 emissions and stimulate a wider evolution to a more sustainable future for the aviation industry.

Searching for initiatives to reduce environmental impact

Although the aviation industry has collectively committed to net zero by 2050, air travel remains one of the most significant contributors to carbon emissions and the route to decarbonisation remains complex.

SkyTeam – one of the world’s three major airline alliances – launched The Aviation Challenge (TAC) as an incubator for innovation to develop and implement new aviation solutions and practices that reduce environmental impact. Participants are asked to execute their most sustainable flight possible, on an existing passenger flight in their network, and take innovations and solutions onboard that can help to lower flight emissions, improve waste reduction, or decarbonise ground operations.

Scaling the challenge

Our experts in aviation, sustainability, and innovation collaborated with SkyTeam to design and execute the challenge and evaluate submissions from participating airlines using our expert panel and providing meaningful feedback to all.

Building on the success of the previous year’s challenge, the 2023 edition welcomed not only SkyTeam members but also ‘friends and family’ airlines, totalling 22 global airlines and 72 flights, marking a 38 percent increase and 227 percent increase, respectively. Over 2,000 employees from theses airlines competed across seven categories and 25 sub-categories.

We provided strategic guidance alongside hands-on industry experience, working closely with SkyTeam and participating airlines to generate ideas that have real world impact on their flights. “The challenge showed that sustainability initiatives were not just theoretical concepts but practical solutions that could be adopted beyond the challenge,” said Nick Hanenburg, PA Aviation expert.

Awards included lowest CO2 flight emissions, greatest CO2 reduction, lowest CO2 emissions ground operations, best in-flight waste management, best innovation, and others. We also added awards that celebrate airlines pushing the boundaries of sustainability through collaboration and those making sustainability a part of their daily operations, thus scaling and enhancing the impact of the challenge.

Beyond delivering the complex challenge on time, this collaboration with airlines supported SkyTeam’s broader aim to instigate a shift toward sustainability outside of its own alliance.

Embracing innovative solutions

TAC 2023 resulted in more than 350 sustainable solutions that were actively shared amongst participants on a knowledge sharing platform. The solutions resulted in an average improvement of 19 percent in CO2 intensity compared to the same flights operated in previous months. Other significant achievements were reducing the total cabin waste generated by one kilogramme per passenger below the industry average.

Standout innovations included Kenya Airways’ first international flight using Sustainable Aviation Fuel. TAROM won the lowest CO2 emissions category with its Bucharest to Madrid route by maximising its payload while dedicating a substantial portion of the aircraft’s weight capacity to carrying passengers.

KLM Cityhopper drastically reduced catering and cleaning waste, generating only 62 grams of CO2 per passenger and, on the ground, Air Europa made use of electric ground equipment resulting in the lowest CO2 emissions per passenger on its Madrid-Amsterdam round-trip flight.

Delta Air Lines took home the top prize for Lowest CO2 Ground Emissions Home Base in which it used 100 percent electric ground support equipment for its challenge flights. The impact of electrification for Delta people and local communities results in improved air quality, less hazardous waste, and lower noise pollution.

While the industry still has progress to make, the challenge plays a pivotal role in promoting the feasibility of sustainable technology and practices among airlines.

We continue to support SkyTeam through the 2024 edition of the challenge, enabling its long-term vision where the priorities will be advancing adoption of existing solutions, boosting collaboration and knowledge sharing, and embedding sustainability beyond the flight challenge.

By encouraging participants to embrace innovative practices to reduce their environmental footprints, the initiative cements SkyTeam’s position as a force in moving the dial and driving the aviation industry to a better future.