Air France to eliminate single-use of plastics, offset 100% of CO2 emissions within months

Air France will eliminate single-use of plastics on board by the end of 2019 and will offset 100% of CO₂ emissions on all its domestic flights as of 1^st of January, 2020.

“We must step up the transition to a more sustainable form of air transport and we are voluntarily making new commitments for today and 2030. I have decided to introduce measures for offsetting 100% of the CO₂ emissions generated by our domestic flights as of January 2020 to ensure all our customers have the possibility of carbon neutral flights throughout France” Anne Rigail, the CEO of Air France, said in a press release.

“We have set a new ambitious objective to reduce our CO2 emissions. We will reduce fuel consumption per passenger/km to less than 3 liters by 2030. Air transport brings people together and promotes an openness to the world. Our ambition is to be a driving force for action and innovation in the creation of a sustainable aviation sector.”

For many years, Air France has been committed to reducing its environmental footprint and offers its customers a responsible travel experience, through concrete actions – modernizing its fleet, promoting eco-piloting, reducing the weight of on-board equipment on its aircraft, recycling waste, eliminating single-use plastic, and more.

Air France has decided to offset 100% of CO₂ emissions on all its domestic flights.As of January 1^st, 2020, this compensation will take the form of participation in projects certified by recognized organizations. Business or leisure travelers, companies or employees of the Air France group will thus be able to travel throughout France in a carbon-neutral way.

Air France will be one of the first airlines to offset the emissions generated by its domestic flights. Concretely, this represents on average over 450 flights per day and over 57,000 customers concerned.

Corporate customers will also be able to opt for voluntary compensation of up to 100% of the emissions generated by their short, medium and long-haul flights via a dedicated offer.

Air France has also decided to step up its commitments to reducing its CO₂ emissions and is setting a new objective for 2030 – to reduce its CO₂ emissions by 50% per passenger/km compared to 2005, i.e.,less than 3 liters of fuel consumption per passenger per 100km.

As from today, October 1^st, Air France is introducing selective waste sorting on board its flights to Paris. This concerns – plastics; cartons; aluminium; glass.

All these materials sorted by cabin crew are then handled by the service provider Servair at Paris-Charles de Gaulle and Paris-Orly and recycled in France or Europe. 

Air France has already decided to eliminate the use of single-use plastic items (cups, cutlery, stirrers, etc.) on board its aircraft from the end of 2019, i.e. 1,300 fewer tons of plastic per year.

Lastly, to develop solutions for a sustainable aviation sector, Air France is committed on a daily basis to investing in research and innovation for credible alternatives.

With the Solar Impulse Foundation, Air France plans to accelerate the adoption of economically and environmentally viable solutions in the aviation sector. They will notably reduce the impact of carbon emissions, waste and noise. These economically feasible solutions, some of which could be used by Air France and which will all be made available to the aviation industry, will contribute to building a more sustainable world.