Delta Air Lines (DL) has proudly completed its most sustainable flights, having ferried passengers, with the environment in mind, between Los Angeles International Airport (LAX) and Hartsfield–Jackson Atlanta International Airport (ATL) on May 17th and Atlanta to Paris Charles de Gaulle Airport (CDG) on May 23rd. The US carrier is currently taking part in the SkyTeam Alliance 'Sustainable Flight Challenge,' where the group aims to have airlines test their ability and learn new initiatives onboard and around the aircraft for more sustainable practices in the future.

The challenge, which includes, but is not limited to, food to fuel, showcased the steps airlines are taking to lower their carbon footprint and test the latest innovations for sustainable strategies.

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A range of onboard initiatives

Highlights that were recently tested included Delta taking the step of testing a reusable cup system alongside the paper cup. On average, Delta throws out over 7 million pounds of plastic cups onboard every year. Further initiatives included separating trash onboard from recyclable to general waste. The carrier is also working towards recyclable pulp products for ear wrappers and flight fuel boxes, wherever possible.

Stepping outside the aircraft, recent highlights have included sustainable aviation fuel (SAF), which Delta had delivered to Atlanta and Los Angeles airports, which is enough fuel to operate a transcontinental round trip. The electric-powered support equipment is also in the phase of being rolled out. The carrier aims towards 100% fleet electrification by 2025, with Salt Lake City (SLC) and Boston Logan (BOS) already achieving this. Another initiative is limiting the amount of potable water loaded into the aircraft, ultimately decreasing weight, fuel requirements, and overall emissions.

Listening to Delta's Pam Fletcher

Delta’s Chief Sustainability Officer, Pam Fletcher, as part of the sustainability challenge, released this statement on the Delta website:

“We’re excited to showcase so many parts of Delta’s sustainability strategy in action at the same time to reduce waste and emissions across the travel experience and our operations. Sustainability isn’t only good for our planet. It’s a business imperative that requires meaningful action today. That’s why this year’s flights focused on scalable solutions that can be put into play more broadly in the short and medium terms. We’re excited to share our findings with SkyTeam partners – and learn from their efforts – as we continue to accelerate the more sustainable future of travel.”

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Two pillars for success

Delta's approach to sustainability is based on two pillars, embedding sustainable practices in 'everything the airline does' and eliminating the company's climate impact incurred by flying. With these latest test flights a success, it showcases the variety of practices that can be considered to demonstrate the achievability of flying with a reduced carbon footprint.

The SkyTeam Sustainable Flight Challenge is all about its partner airlines participating globally to operate, and think outside the box with sustainability at the forefront, to help accelerate innovation for reduced carbon emissions throughout the aviation industry.

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  SkyTeam

  Business Type:

  Airline Alliance

  Date Founded:

  2000-06-22

  CEO:

  Kristin Colvile

  Headquarters Location:

  Amsterdam, The Netherlands