Cathay Pacific is painting the skies green! The airline, synonymous with its iconic ‘brushwing’ logo and the color green, is boldly aiming to become Asia’s most environmentally friendly carrier. But how do you make air travel, a naturally carbon-intensive industry, greener? Let’s dive in!
First, Cathay is tackling the issue head-on by modernizing its fleet. They’re introducing more fuel-efficient jets, like the Airbus A321neo and A350 series, and have ordered 30 mid-sized A330neo planes. Plus, starting in 2027, they’ll replace older Boeing 747 cargo jets with Airbus A350F freighters. This is a significant step, as newer aircraft inherently produce fewer emissions.
Next up: sustainable jet fuel! Airbus aircraft can already use up to 50% Sustainable Aviation Fuel (SAF), with the goal of reaching 100% by 2030. Cathay is leading the charge, being among the first in Asia to commit to using SAF for 10% of its fuel consumption by 2030. Currently, some flights from Hong Kong International Airport already use a mix of conventional fuel and SAF made from used cooking oil.
Cathay and Airbus are also collaborating, investing up to US$70 million to boost SAF production in Asia and globally. Alex McGowan, Cathay’s Chief Operations and Service Delivery Officer, emphasizes that SAF is crucial for the airline’s and the industry’s decarbonization goals. This partnership aims to create a more scalable SAF industry.
But here’s where it gets controversial…Cathay is also investing in the long-term, partnering with the Oneworld airline alliance and Breakthrough Energy Ventures to develop next-generation SAF technologies. Ronald Lam, Cathay Group CEO, highlights the importance of making SAF more accessible and cost-competitive, aiming to build a resilient and scalable SAF ecosystem.
And this is the part most people miss… Cathay’s sustainability efforts extend beyond planes and fuel. They’re tackling single-use plastics, aiming to reduce passenger-facing items from an average of 7.7 pieces per passenger in 2019 to just 1.5 pieces this year. At least 50% of the remaining plastic items will be made with recycled plastic. Water bottles on outbound flights from Hong Kong already use 100% recycled plastic. The airline is exploring alternatives like recycled paper for wrapping headphones and blankets, and trialing reusable serviceware in economy class.
Furthermore, cabin waste is targeted to reach just 0.63 kg per passenger by 2030 – a 30% reduction from 2019. At Hong Kong, even food waste is converted into electricity, with the flight kitchen’s innovative system generating enough surplus electricity to power approximately 8,000 households annually.
Cathay’s sustainability drive is a company-wide effort, reflecting their collaborative ‘Greener Together’ ethos.
What do you think? Are these initiatives enough? Do you have any concerns about the feasibility or impact of these changes? Share your thoughts in the comments below!