Flight G3-1492, which departed Congonhas at 12:40 pm and landed in Bonito at 1:40 pm (local time) this Thursday afternoon Dec 2, represents much more than a non-stop inaugural flight to GOL Linhas Aéreas’ newest destination in Mato Grosso do Sul. It represents an unprecedented stage in Brazilian commercial aviation and a relevant step in the company’s regional expansion, but also the birth of the second 100% carbon neutral route in Brazil.
The objective is to preserve the airspace and the environment surrounding the airports in question and to fight climate change that threatens life on Earth – an alignment of GOL, a company that is increasingly committed to becoming a reference in sustainability aviation in the country, with responsible tourism legitimized in Bonito, an ecotourism and natural beauty paradise and a wealth-generating center in Mato Grosso do Sul.
Under a new partnership between GOL and MOSS, one of the world’s largest environmental carbon credit platforms, both companies are donating to all customers and crew members on the Congonhas-Bonito-Congonhas route the individual offsetting of the carbon footprint of their journeys, neutralizing the total carbon emissions on both routes – with the right to a certificate. On September 1 of this year, the first 100% carbon neutral route in Brazil, Recife-Fernando de Noronha-Recife, was launched, also a partnership between GOL and MOSS.
Onboard the plane, customers received the latest edition of GOL magazine, individually wrapped with a Giovanna Baby brand alcohol gel sachet, and a nécessaire offered by Phytoervas and customized by the native artist Beni Kadiwéu, from Mato Grosso do Sul, with a selection of ecologically responsible personal care products.
Upon disembarking, everyone received the carbon offset certificate for flight G3-1492 printed on seed paper, an incentive to plant. The traditional baptism of the aircraft on its first landing at the destination was suppressed in favor of preserving water resources.
Regular commercial flights between São Paulo and Bonito have never been available, which is becoming a new reality.
Gol will operate two weekly roundtrips, non-stop, on Thursdays and Sundays. Takeoff from Congonhas is at 12:40 p.m., and landing at Bonito Regional Airport is at 1:40 p.m. Departure for the new destination (flight G3 1493) is at 2:20 p.m., landing at 5:15 p.m. in São Paulo. The flights are operated by Boeing 737-700 aircraft, with a capacity of 138 passengers.
Carbon neutrality, a joint responsibility
Starting June 5, 2021, GOL customers can voluntarily offset the carbon footprint of their flights, a possibility established by the Company for the first time in Latin America, with the collaboration of MOSS. GOL has named this initiative and campaign #MeuVooCompensa. The offsetting on domestic and international flights is done through MCO2, the first fully global blockchain-backed green token, which was created by MOSS to neutralize CO2 emissions from the support of certified environmental projects operating in the Amazon.
GOL and MOSS’s investment in carbon neutrality in the city of Bonito ignites the debate on shared responsibility: mitigating the impact of flights on global climate change should be a concern not only of the airlines but of every person who uses the service.
By purchasing Congonhas-Bonito-Congonhas tickets, all passengers will be entitled to exchange with MOSS the certificate of carbon credits already offset related to their flights, with the addition of an invitation to, if it is in the Customer’s interest, purchase MCO2 to neutralize the other routes that make up their trip. The cost is very affordable. For the São Paulo-Rio de Janeiro route, it is BRL 2.38 (USD 0.42). From Brasilia to Rio de Janeiro, BRL 5.94. From São Paulo to Bahia, BRL 7.13. And even on longer routes, such as Porto Alegre to Manaus, only BRL 20.43.
