Boutique airline AirGO and business aviation charter broker
Victor have formed a partnership to introduce ‘opt-out’ sustainable aviation
fuel (SAF) into the standard pricing structure of the former’s flights.
The new quotation format will promote the use of SAF by
inverting the approach of existing schemes, asking buyers if they want to opt
out of the programme rather than if they want to opt in at the end of the
transaction. The initiative will apply to all AirGO flights booked via Victor’s
marketplace and will see the cost of SAF incorporated into the total price of
the charter.
The project uses AirGO’s SAF Book & Claim model,
developed in partnership with CO2 offsetting specialist Compensaid and powered
by Lufthansa.
If customers do not wish to contribute to the use of SAF,
which can produce fewer emissions than traditional jet fuel, they can actively
opt out of the programme during the booking process.
The initiative is due to go live in early 2022, according to
the companies, and aims to raise awareness of the environmental impact of a
charter at the point of quotation and facilitate customers in reducing their
emissions.
The project follows research by the International Air Transport
Association (IATA) that showed the uptake for opt-in emissions compensation
schemes is as low as 1 per cent for commercial flights.
Daniela Flierl, MD of AirGO, said: “By partnering with
Victor, we are acknowledging the role we businesses must play to secure the
sustainable future of both our industry and our planet, and we are seeking to
prompt individuals to make more environmentally conscious choices.
“The most common carbon offsetting schemes available today
promote afforestation and renewable energy programmes which ‘cancel out’ or
minimise the damage caused by carbon emissions. The issue with these approaches
is that they have a delayed impact – and we all know that’s not enough. By
comparison, the use of SAF results in an immediate reduction in carbon
emissions. While of course the industry has a long way to go, this project is a
first step towards normalising the need to make sustainable choices when
travelling.”
Toby Edwards, co-CEO at Victor, added: “This joint
initiative will allow Victor clients to easily compare the fuel-efficient
Piaggio Avanti [planes used by AirGO] with SAF included in the charter price
side-by-side with other, more carbon-intensive options, which we hope will
drive better decision making. This is just a part of a much bigger project to
support the adoption of advanced fuels and we’re excited to see the uptake from
our customers and the wider broker community.”
Victor also offsets the emissions of every flight booked
through its platform by 200 per cent as standard. The company publishes its CO2
emissions and reduction measures annually, while every quote it provides is
labelled with its carbon impact, including fuel burn, CO2 emissions and
mitigation.