Kenya Airways (KQ) will operate an SAF-powered flight on Africa Day as part of The Sustainable Flight Challenge (TSFC) by SkyTeam. This is a friendly competition between SkyTeam members to promote sustainability and make air travel greener.
This year, TSFC has extended the invitation to alliance members as it seeks to spearhead environmental change. Kenya Airways will work with its subsidiary Jambojet to discover several solutions that can reduce aviation's impact on the environment by improving sustainability.
KQ's SAF-powered flight
As part of the sustainability challenge, KQ will operate a flight powered by Sustainable Aviation Fuel (SAF), which is expected to provide essential data and insights that can determine policy decisions, industry regulations, and best practices related to the use of SAF.
The pilot flight will be operated on May 25, 2023, on the return flight between Nairobi Jomo Kenyatta (NBO) and Amsterdam Schiphol (AMS). This will be a very significant milestone for the airline and the continent.
Kenya Airways will deploy its Boeing 787-8 Dreamliner on the flight. On the same day, the continent will celebrate African unity and development, with milestones like this set to be part of its future. KQ Group CEO and Managing Director Allan Kilavuka said;
“As an aviation industry, it is our responsibility to ensure that we are actively playing a critical role geared towards solutions and shared learning for sustainable solutions and practices in our industry. This year as our red tail goes green again, we aim to support the industry in achieving net-zero by 2050. We are committed to adopting better practices and creating partnerships with people of similar vision.”
Starting in 2025, all flights taking off from European airports must incorporate a portion of Sustainable Aviation Fuels. Kenya Airways seeks to leverage the industry-wide SAF momentum to unlock competitive advantages in the African aviation market.
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SkyTeam and TSFC
SkyTeam is one of the world's leading airline alliances, with 19 members. Kenya Airways has been a part of SkyTeam since 2007 and is the only African airline in the alliance. KQ and 21 other airlines will participate in the second edition of The Sustainable Flight Challenge.
Launched in 2022, TSFC has returned, and it will take place between May 15 and 28. It is the only sustainability initiative of its kind, aiming to drive meaningful change in the short term.
In the name of "friendly competition," participating airlines will be challenged to operate their flights as sustainably as possible, above and below wing, from pushback to parking stand. After the competition, airlines will share their innovations and solutions to enhance sustainability.
There are seven categories with awards for the lowest CO2 emissions, greatest CO2 reduction, lowest CO2 emissions ground operations, best in-flight waste management, best collaboration, best adoption, and the best innovation. All qualifying flights have to be part of the airline's existing network.
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Kenya Airways' commitment to sustainability
The winners of the 2023 sustainability challenge will be recognized in October, with Kenya Airways looking to bring some awards home. The airline will focus on the six essential categories, including e-mobility for passengers and travel light policies.
KQ is fully committed and invested in helping the industry achieve sustainable growth through its Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) program. CSR highlights its dedication to economic, environmental, and social issues.
Through this, the airline will support activities in education, environment conservation, community well-being, health, water and sanitation, and disaster and humanitarian relief. CSR will be the pillar of reliability, efficiency, and sustainable development in Africa.
KQ has completed various projects at schools and community centers in Africa. Its commitment to education is driven by the belief that a solid educational foundation will ensure that young people are appropriately skilled for the demanding job market.
What do you think of TSFC and Kenya Airways' participation? Let us know in the comments!