Etihad to add first A350 to sustainability testing programme

Etihad Airways will introduce its new Airbus A350 aircraft to its sustainability testing programme, its chief executive said.

The airline will add the fuelefficient jet to the Greenliner programme, which uses its fleet of Boeing 787s, to focus on finding sustainable flight solutions, Tony Douglas, group chief executive of Etihad Aviation

Group, told The National. “This is going to be part of a far bigger commitment, to say that Abu Dhabi is a thought leader that actually speaks through its actions as opposed to talking a good talk or having no substance behind it.”

Mr Douglas was speaking at the International Air Transport Association’s annual general meeting in Boston on Tuesday, a day after the industry body committed to net-zero carbon emissions by 2050 to align the aviation sector’s climate change action to the 2015 Paris Agreement.

The executive called on global policymakers to encourage the aviation industry to undertake more sustainable solutions, such as controlled ascent and descent of aircraft, which saves flight time and tonnes of carbon emissions.

“The top of the list I’d be calling for is for policy setters, regulators and governments on a global level to put more effort into incentivising sustainable performance within aviation,” Mr Douglas said.

As part of the Greenliner programme, Etihad and Boeing have operated several flights aboard the 787 focusing on plastic-free in-flight products, optimised airspace management, flight deck tools for more eco-friendly take-offs, noise reduction and the use of sustainable aviation fuel.

Etihad had also committed to a target of net-zero carbon emissions by 2050 and halving its 2019 net emission levels by 2035, almost two years before the Iata pledge.

The airline took delivery of its first A350 three months ago and the engineering team is in the process of fitting out the interior, Mr Douglas said.

The first A350 is scheduled to enter into service next year, but the exact date will depend on market conditions, he said.

Etihad Airways will reveal its new Airbus A350 wide-body aircraft at Dubai Airshow next month and introduce the fuel-efficient jet to its sustainability test-bed programme, its chief executive said.

The airline will add the Airbus A350, jet-powered by Rolls-Royce XWB engines, to its Greenliner programme, which uses its fleet of Boeing 787 Dreamliners, to focus on finding sustainable flight solutions, Tony Douglas, group chief executive of Etihad Aviation Group, told The National.

“We’re going to introduce it to our broader sustainability programme, so it won’t just be the Greenliner, it will be the Greenliner and the A350-1000 because we’ve got the world’s two most efficient aircraft,” he said. “This is going to be part of a far bigger commitment, to say that Abu Dhabi is a thought leader that actually speaks through its actions as opposed to talking a good talk or having no substance behind it.”

Since 2019, when the Greenliner programme began, Etihad and Boeing have operated several flights aboard the Boeing 787 Dreamliner jet focusing on plastic-free in-flight products, flight deck tools for more eco-friendly take-offs, noise reduction and the use of sustainable aviation fuel.

The airline took delivery of its first A350 three months ago and the engineering team is fitting out the cabin interior, Mr Douglas said.

The first A350 is scheduled to enter into service next year, but the exact date will depend on market conditions, he said.

“It’s to be determined because of Covid, that’s driven by network and demand,” he said. “It will be during 2022 ... it’s dependent on the market recovery and how many aircraft we put back in the sky.”

Mr Douglas was speaking at the International Air Transport Association’s annual general meeting in Boston after the industry body committed to net-zero carbon emissions by 2050 to align the aviation sector’s climate change action to the 2015 Paris Agreement.

Almost two years before the Iata pledge, Etihad had already committed to a target of zero net carbon emissions by 2050 and halving of its 2019 net emission levels by 2035.

“We have been quietly getting on with this,” Mr Douglas said.

He also called on global policymakers to encourage the aviation industry to undertake more sustainable solutions, such as controlled ascent and descent of aircraft, which saves flight time and tonnes of carbon emissions.

“The top of the list I’d be calling for is for policy setters, regulators and governments on a global level to put more effort into incentivising sustainable performance within aviation,” he said.

Almost two years before the Iata pledge, Etihad already committed to a target of zero net carbon emissions by 2050