Etihad Airways Boosts a Green Loyalty Program as Competitive Advantage – Skift

Etihad is betting that as passengers return to flying, sustainability will be more of a concern.

“We do see ourselves as thought leaders in this space,” said Martin Drew, Etihad senior vice president of global sales and cargo.

Corporate customers can reduce their carbon footprint by earning rewards for carbon offsets, investment in sustainable aviation fuel and paying a green surcharge.

Etihad has boosted the visibility of its sustainability efforts by flying the “Etihad Greenliner,” a green Boeing 787 used to test products, procedures and other initiatives intended to reduce carbon emissions.

Through Conscious Choices, corporate customers can join Etihad in buying sustainable aviation fuel , which can be used to offset their own emissions.

“The fact that sustainability has stayed on the agenda during the pandemic is testament to just how important the topic is to Etihad,” the carrier said, in a prepared statement.

For the first half of 2021, Etihad reported a core operating loss of about $400 million, about half the loss in the same period of 2020.

American Airlines said it will take delivery of 16 million gallons of SAF over a seven-year period beginning in 2024, with fuel delivered to San Francisco International Airport.

On December 1, United Airlines flew a Boeing 737 Max flew from Chicago to Washington powered by sustainable aviation fuels made from cooking oil, agricultural waste and other sources.

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