Virgin America: Leader in Sustainability

Virgin America airlines were launched in August 2007 by founder Richard Branson. Since the beginning Virgin America had a goal “…to build an airline from the ground up that makes environmentally-sustainable practices part and parcel of our business model…”. This goal has led the company to focus on their environmental impacts and their “Sustainability Principles” which help to guide in decision making. By being a leader in carbon efficiency and investing in sustainable growth Virgin America has found a way to be 25% more fuel efficient that the average US airline. Voted the Most Eco-Friendly Airline in 2010 by Smarter Travel, Virgin America is always looking for ways to reduce their carbon footprint—such as their in-flight recycling program. In addition to trying to be a more sustainable company, Virgin America is also presenting itself as a leader in the airline industry by being the first airline to list its carbon footprint and the first US airline to provide its passengers with the opportunity of offsetting the carbon footprint of their flight.

While Virgin America’s internal operations have consistently been environmentally aware, their physical operations will now be more sustainable as well. San Francisco International Airport is currently undergoing a 383 million dollar renovation of their Terminal 2 (T2)—home to Virgin America and American Airlines—which is expected to be the most sustainable and modern terminal in the US. Virgin America is the only airline headquartered out of San Francisco, which means T2 will now be the principle operation base for the company. This terminal will not only be more environmentally-friendly but also enhance travellers experiences by providing them with amenities such as a food marketplace featuring local organic vendors, water bottle refilling stations, zero waste stations, paperless ticketing and much, much more. While Virgin America has always practiced sustainability in their internal operations, they will now also be able to feature this in their physical operations as well. With the new renovations “Virgin American spaces within T2 will ultimately achieve the highest possible LEED-Platinum certification”. Seems in Virgin America’s mind that if you’re going to reach for sustainability, you better go all the way!

Sources Used:

Hetzel, A. (2011, February 7). Virgin America Wows with Newly Released Sustainability Principles. Retrieved February 23, 2011, from Carbonfund.org blog: http://www.carbonfund.org/blog/energy-efficiency/virgin-americas-2009-sustainability-report-proud/?utm_campaign=virgin-americas-2009-sustainability-report-proud&utm_medium=rss&utm_source=rss

Shradha. (2011, February 19). SFO's Terminal 2 Set to Re-Open in April 2011. Retrieved February 23, 2011, from PRLog: http://www.prlog.org/11314354-sfos-terminal-2-set-to-re-open-in-april-2011.html

Virgin America . (2011). About Us. Retrieved February 23, 2011, from Virgin America : http://www.virginamerica.com/about/environmental-sustainability.html

Where are we now?

Over the last few years it has come to the forefront how badly we need to, as a planet, look to more environmentally friendly and sustainable ways of living. This not only includes how we act in our everyday lives but extends on to our vacationing and travel habits as well. As a result of this fairly new awareness in regards to what we are doing to the planet and how important it is to seek more sustainable options, companies are using sustainable practices as a competitive advantage to attract customers. In my first few steps of doing research on looking into what airlines are doing to gain a more eco-friendly and sustainable approach I was overwhelmed with how much information is out there and how much action is being put forth to make the airline industry more environmentally friendly. Through the course of writing this blog I hope gain more knowledge on how the steps the airline industry as a whole is taking, as well as the processes individual airlines are going through to reach a more sustainable way of operating.

There were a few main topics that stood out in my initial research which I found very interesting in the awareness of and actions being taken toward sustainable travel. The Greenbix Group puts out a report every year on the State of Green Business looking at the future direction businesses will be taking and in the 2011 report one of the main ideas brought forth is the idea that Greener Transport Makes Its Move. More specifically it notes that reducing the wastage in the airline industry as a big thing that they would like to see gain momentum within this year. Also, Qantas (a flight company based out of Australia) is launching a sustainable fuel strategy which is looking into creating an aviation fuel using sustainable algae-based energy sources.  Another big step for the airline industry as of today is the Air Transport Association of America passing a bill focused on creating a more sustainable and globally competitive airline industry. While each of these may seem like small steps in reaching a sustainable goal it is what, I believe, will make a big difference in the long run. Stay tuned for The Airline Industry's Flight to Sustainability to unfold more exciting breakthroughs taking place in creating more ecofriendly operations!

Check out this video on How aviation can clean up its act

Sources used in this post:

Ambani, P. (2011, February 7). State of Green Business 2011: What's In and What's Not. Retrieved February 17, 2011, from Reuters: http://www.reuters.com/article/2011/02/07/idUS146035343720110207

SOURCE Air Transport Association. (2011, February 17). Air Transport Association Congratulates Senate on FAA Bill Passage That Furthers NextGen and Creates Thousands of U.S. Jobs. Retrieved February 17, 2011, from PR Newswire: http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/air-transport-association-congratulates-senate-on-faa-bill-passage-that-furthers-nextgen-and-creates-thousands-of-us-jobs-116443294.html

Voxy News Engine. (2011, February 10). Qantas Launches Sustainable Fuel Strategy. Retrieved February 17, 2011, from Voxy.co.nz: http://www.voxy.co.nz/business/qantas-launches-sustainable-fuel-strategy/5/81550