ITA Airways has unveiled its plans to participate in SkyTeam's 2023 Sustainable Flight Challenge. The Italian flag carrier will showcase its sustainability credentials on two return flights later this month, one between Rome (FCO) and Miami (MIA), and the other between Rome and Barcelona BCN).

The selected flights are as follows:

The Miami sectors will be flown by the Airbus A330-200, and the carrier will deploy its Airbus A320neo on the Barcelona flights. According to the latest data from ch-aviation.com, ITA Airways currently has eight Airbus A330-200s and five Airbus A320neos in its fleet. While the aging A330s are due to be replaced by the more modern A330-900, the airline still has a further 20 A320neos on order, awaiting delivery.

SkyTeam's Sustainable Flight Challenge

SkyTeam's first Sustainable Flight Challenge was held in 2022, encouraging 16 SkyTeam member airlines to showcase their focus on sustainability. Last year, ITA Airways took first place in the "Best Waste Management” and “Greatest CO2 Reduction Medium-haul” categories.

When this year's challenge was launched back in February, SkyTeam's CEO and Managing Director, Patrick Roux, said,

“The transformation needed to reduce aviation’s environmental impact cannot happen by working in isolation. Our members are sharing a wealth of creative ideas and showing immense commitment in our bold ambition of making The Sustainable Flight Challenge a force for change. With sustainability a key pillar of SkyTeam’s strategy, we are excited to extend this year’s challenge to other airlines and industry partners to spark more creativity and find more innovations. By sharing knowledge and workable solutions, we can deliver a more sustainable experience for customers, while helping decarbonize aviation to better protect the planet.”

As part of this year's challenge, which includes flight and ground operations, a total of 22 airlines will put forward their most sustainable solutions, competing for awards in 31 categories. The other carriers taking part include Aerolineas Argentinas, Delta Air Lines, and Vietnam Airlines. Further details of the Sustainable Flight challenge can be seen in this video from SkyTeam:

ITA Airways' commitment to sustainability

When it comes to taking part in the challenge, ITA Airways has revealed it will be looking at a number of different aspects of air travel, including:

• Use of sustainable aviation fuel (SAF), a biofuel produced from various waste materials that can reduce emissions by up to 80% compared to conventional jet fuel
• More sustainable catering, with a particular focus on supply chain and seasonal produce
• Waste recycling and use of compostable materials instead of single-use plastic
• Use of carbon offsetting schemes, supporting environmentally friendly projects.

One of the key pillars of ITA Airways' sustainability plan is the modernization of its fleet. By 2026, 80% of the airline's fleet will consist of modern, fuel-efficient aircraft, including the flagship Airbus A350-900. This alone will lead to a 25% reduction in carbon emissions.

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What do you think of ITA Airways' participation in SkyTeam's 2023 Sustainable Flight Challenge? Will you be traveling on one of the flights? Share your thoughts by commenting below.

Source: ch-aviation.com

• 

  ITA Airways

  IATA/ICAO Code:

  AZ/ITY

  Airline Type:

  Full Service Carrier

  Hub(s):

  Rome Fiumicino Airport

  Year Founded:

  2020

  Alliance:

  SkyTeam

  CEO:

  Fabio Lazzerini

  Country:

  Italy