In this special holiday episode, we re-visit conversations with six aviation industry executives about their approaches to sustainability and decarbonisation.
- Scandinavian Airlines CEO Anko van der Werff shares how regional environmental consciousness shapes their strategy, combining SAF adoption with electric and hydrogen partnerships. Their first electric flight is scheduled for 2028.
- Alaska Airlines SVP Diana Birkett Rakow details their 2040 net-zero target, with initiatives including employee bonus links to carbon targets and a partnership with Microsoft for synthetic fuel production.
- Boeing’s Chief Sustainability Officer Brian Moran discusses their “SAF&” strategy and goal for 100% SAF-compatible aircraft by 2030. They’re advancing electric propulsion through their Saab 340B retrofit project.
- Pittsburgh International Airport CEO Christina Cassotis reveals how they’ve operated completely off-grid for three years using a microgrid system, while developing multiple SAF pathways and an innovation testing ground.
- Truckee Tahoe Airport GM Robb Etnyre describes becoming the first airport to fully adopt SAF, achieving price parity with conventional jet fuel at $8 per gallon.
- IAG’s Group head of Sustainability Jonathon Counsell outlines their commitment to 10% SAF fuel use by 2030, emphasizing the importance of managing cost transitions across the industry.
If you LOVED this episode, you’ll also love all the conversations we had through the year with dozens of industry executives, technology leaders and scientists. Check out the archive here.
Learn more about the innovators who are navigating the industry’s challenges to make sustainable aviation a reality, in our new book ‘Sustainability in the Air’. Click here to learn more.
Feel free to reach out via email to podcast@simpliflying.com. For more content on sustainable aviation, visit our website green.simpliflying.com and join the movement. It’s about time.
Links & More:
How SAS wants to pioneer sustainable aviation in Scandinavia
Alaska Airlines’ multi-faceted approach to achieving net zero by 2040
How Boeing’s ‘SAF&’ strategy is laying the foundation for sustainable flying
Why airports should become energy innovation hubs, not just transport hubs
How Truckee Tahoe Airport is transitioning towards its 100% SAF goal
Why IAG is focusing on the practicality of SAF more than emerging technologies
This episode is brought to you by 4AIR. 4AIR is leading the way with the industry’s first framework to address aviation’s climate impact—offering clear, verifiable pathways to reduce and counteract aircraft emissions. For more information, please visit: https://www.4air.aero/
