BA News • September 2014
Going for green
From fuelling aircraft using rubbish to making handbags from life jackets, British Airways has devised some innovative ways to minimise carbon emissions and become a more environmentally friendly airline. The Club picks six of its favourite BA green schemes…
Flying on rubbish
The airline recently announced plans to fuel some of its planes on waste. It committed to build the first facility, in east London, to convert landfill waste to jet fuel. Once operational, the scheme will be the equivalent of taking 150,000 cars off the road.
Greener flying machines
BA’s newest airline types, the A380s and Boeing 787s, include cutting-edge design, making them better equipped for a greener 21st century. The A380’s laminated metal and fibreglass fuselage means it uses less fuel than older generation aircraft, which is better in terms of emissions. The 787 is 20 per cent more fuel efficient than its predecessors, and up to 40 per cent quieter than comparable aircraft, a result of its lightweight carbon composite shell.
Descaling toilets
Thanks to a brainwave from a BA employee, the airline now regularly descales the toilet pipes in its planes. This makes the planes lighter, so they need less fuel to operate and less carbon is emitted as a result.
Change in the air
BA launched the first passenger programme to help UK-based communities develop clean-energy solutions and reduce carbon dioxide emissions. The Carbon Fund enables the airline’s customers who wish to travel responsibly to mitigate the impact of their journey. More than 100,000 people and 31 schools continue to benefit from the use of local facilities, such as leisure centres and swimming pools, thanks to BA passenger donations.
Fashion forward
The airline’s supplier of life jackets has diverted hundreds of time-expired passenger life jackets away from landfill by having them made into handbags.
Plastic fantastic
All of the quarter-sized bottles of wine served on BA (apart from Champagne and sparkling wine) are now made from plastic not glass. The on-board weight saving results in significantly reduced carbon emissions.
