For the sixth year in a row, Air Transat has been ranked number one in North America, and one of the world’s leading airlines, in the Atmosfair Airline Index, which measures carriers’ fuel efficiency and greenhouse gas emissions reduction.
It is the only North American airline on the global top 20 list as determined by Atmosfair, which has been rating the environmental performance of some 200 carriers since 2011. Air Transat is 12th in the world in the long- and medium-haul categories, and 14th in all categories of the annual index.
“We are very pleased indeed to be in the select club of the world’s most climate-friendly airlines,” said Jean-François Lemay, President, Air Transat. “We continue to spare no effort to reduce our carbon footprint, making improvements every year to our fuel management program, which serves as an industry benchmark,” he added.
The Airline Index, published by German NGO Atmosfair, helps travellers choose their airlines based on CO2 emission levels. The companies that stand out are those that strive to reduce their emissions, especially by reducing fuel consumption, using modern fleets adapted to their routes, and maximizing aircraft load factors.
Since 2004, a dedicated team at Air Transat has implemented numerous initiatives to improve fuel efficiency and reduce greenhouse gas emissions. These measures cover nearly every area of the carrier, and consist of optimizing flight and ground operations, reducing onboard weight, and taking maintenance actions that improve fuel efficiency.
Notable improvement initiatives in the past year have included introduction of fuel/GHG tracking software (AVIASO), implementation of an improved engine compressor wash system, and installation of split scimitar winglet systems (SSWS) on several of the carrier’s B737-800 aircraft.
