The Spanish airline and the airport management company signed a collaboration agreement to offset their residual carbon emissions, as well as those of their partners and customers.
Carbon sinks play an essential role in the ecosystem: absorbing the carbon emitted into the atmosphere. The main carbon sinks are the oceans and forests, which have the capacity to absorb more CO2 than they expel, and can therefore mitigate the environmental impact of human activity.
The agreement between the companies aims to establish joint guidelines for the implementation of new high-quality, certified forest carbon sink projects. As part of the industry’s efforts are focused on the development of new technologies that allow cleaner operations, other initiatives are aimed at seeking alternatives to offset emissions that are, for the time being, unavoidable.
The first step of the project will be taken at Lyon-Saint Exupéry airport, where Volotea opened a new base this year, which already has a forest carbon sink installed, and whose objective is to integrate and extend it to the international network of VINCI Airports, which has 45 airports in 12 countries.
The VINCI group has been working hard on initiatives to reduce the environmental impact of the industry, such as the provision of sustainable aviation fuels at Clermont-Ferrand airport in France and London-Gatwick airport in the UK, the introduction of a carbon modulation scheme for airport landing fees, and the development of hydrogen for aviation.
See also: Decarbonizing the sector: Airbus, Air Liquide, and VINCI Airports team up to promote hydrogen uses
Nicolas Notebaert, CEO de VINCI Concessions y presidente de VINCI Airports, declaró que “junto con los biocombustibles sostenibles y el hidrógeno, la captación de carbono forestal es una parte de nuestra estrategia integral para descarbonizar los viajes aéreos. Esta asociación demuestra nuestra capacidad para ofrecer soluciones relevantes a nuestros clientes, socios y todos los usuarios de nuestra red de transporte”.
See also: World’s Largest Clean Hydrogen Infrastructure Fund Launched
Carlos Muñoz, founder and CEO of Volotea, said, «We are extremely enthusiastic about the alliance we have signed with VINCI Airports. Our two companies share the same vision for the airline industry and we are convinced that the future will be sustainable. This project reflects Volotea’s desire to offset its carbon emissions and develop a cleaner and more environmentally friendly aviation sector.»
Aligned with the objective of decarbonizing the industry, the Spanish airline Volotea is also participating in a consortium – together with Dante Aeronautical and Air Nostrum – that seeks to promote the development of a 100% electric aircraft, whose certification they hope to achieve by 2024.
