Do you love travelling? And are you also conscious of the environment? Then like me, you are definitely in a pickle and left to make a difficult choice between your desire to travel and a conscience that wants to save the planet. Cutting down on your carbon emissions when travelling can seem like an impossible task, especially if you are using your miles.
Hoping on a flight is never going to do any good to the environment, however, there are a few aviation experts and companies who are researching and investing more in renewable energies and advancing technology to reduce their long-term dependency on fossil fuel — but we still have a long way to go until travel can be completely guilt-free. Here are seven ways you can lower your flying footprint.
Pack Responsibly
The weightier your luggage, the heavier the aircraft — and the heavier the aircraft, the more fuel required. Every time you pack ask yourself, are you going to wear that pair of heels after a long day of sightseeing? Or do you need your entire make and vanity case for the trip? For shorter trips packing only hand luggage is a good option as well.
Fly Economy
It is simple, expensive seats take up more space and weight on the plane. Your carbon footprint on a flight is calculated by how many square feet you consume on the plane. So, save a little money and cut your carbon footprint by booking economy tickets.
Fly Direct
Did you know that an airline causes the most pollution while take-off and landing? Skip the haul and layovers as much as you can.
Check For Airlines With New Fleets
The newer the carrier’s engine manufacturing, the higher the chances are of it having green tech. Some due diligence on the make of the fleet will help you reduce your footprint. Pro tip: Avoid flying on the dated 747 jets that consume much more gas, instead fly the 787 or an A350.
Avoid Business Travel
Business travellers make up the majority of fliers – but if anything the pandemic has taught us that closing business deals or even setting up a new business can be done remotely and online. If you cannot avoid travel then combining work trips with vacations can also reduce your flying footprint.
Chose Alternatives
Instead of flying domestic, travel by train or some other form of public travel like the bus or long-distance carpool. Implementing this even for one leg of the journey reduces your footprint.
Look Out For SAF Programmes
There’re still no laws/ rules in place on airlines adopting a sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) program. Latest reports have revealed that Oneworld Alliance members, like Alaska Airlines, American Airlines, British Airways, Finnair, Japan Airlines and Qatar Airways will lead the way and plan to purchase up to 200 million gallons of sustainable aviation fuel per year. Airbus has said they’re on track to launch a hydrogen-fuelled zero-emission commercial airliner by 2035.