The Sustainability Initiatives That Each Major US Airline Is Taking to Make Flying Greener

Hey traveler,

There’s a lot to be said about the benefits of travel. From broadening perspectives to boosting economies, getting out of our backyard and experiencing new places and cultures is a net positive for the world. Matador believes this unequivocally. Yet, every action has a reaction, and travel isn’t always a low-impact activity. Air travel, in particular, pollutes relentlessly—accounting for about 2.5 percent of global carbon emissions—and though planes today are more than twice as fuel-efficient as in 1990, overall emissions have doubled as demand has soared. But progress is happening to address this, and to make flying less harmful to the environment.

Major airlines are pursuing a range of sustainability strategies, from fleet modernization and flight-path optimization to investing in novel designs like blended-wing aircraft. Another central focus is sustainable aviation fuel (SAF), which can cut lifecycle emissions by up to 80 percent and is compatible with current engines. Yet SAF represents less than 0.2 percent of jet fuel today, and scaling it to meet 2050 net-zero goals requires a hundredfold expansion in production and infrastructure. I spoke with leading SAF firms and industry experts to see what’s happening, what’s possible, and where hiccups remain in bringing this technology to life.

Interestingly, we may be able to pull some of the remaining carbon emissions from flying straight out of the air, through a process called Direct Air Capture. Leaders in this space include the Swiss company Climeworks and advocacy group Tomorrow’s Air, both of whom spoke to Matador about what’s possible in this realm. The road to lower-impact air travel is long and always evolving, but it’s important to remember that we as travelers can make a difference, and we’re seeing that happen as these exciting developments move forward. We put together a three-part reported series on the future of airline sustainability, and I hope you’ll be inspired by what’s to come.

Cheers,

Tim Wenger, transactional content editor

SEE WHAT EACH AIRLINE IS DOING →

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F E A T U R E

Is Sustainable Aviation Fuel the Answer?

Virgin Atlantic’s historic Flight100 became the first long haul commercial flight powered entirely by SAF, a renewable drop in fuel that can reduce lifecycle emissions by up to 80 percent and is expected to play a major role in aviation’s path to net zero.

LEARN ABOUT SAF →

Travel Well

The Matador Editorial Team