Cathay Pacific flies high with sustainability gains

CATHAY Pacific Airways shows why it’s a true leader in the aviation industry: it has taken significant sustainable development measures to help its passengers live a “Life Well Traveled.”

In its 2014 Sustainable Development Report, Cathay Pacific highlights efforts on carbon efficiency, biofuels, waste and biodiversity. With the theme “Sustaining a Life Well Traveled,” the report outlines efforts undertaken by the airline and the Cathay Pacific Group’s subsidiaries based in Hong Kong.

“At Cathay Pacific we believe that life should be lived well, and that part of living well is to take a more sustainable approach that can help preserve the environment for future generations. The Cathay Group’s sustainability strategy focuses on five key aspects, including our operations, people and communities, customers, suppliers and infrastructure,” said James Tong, Cathay Pacific Director Corporate Affairs, in a press statement.

Highlights of Cathay Pacific’s sustainability progress in 2014 include improving fuel efficiency by 4.5 percent, investing in a sustainable biofuel developer to signal a long-term commitment to reduce the airline’s carbon footprint, collaborating with stakeholders in shark preservation, taking inflight initiatives in waste management, and pursuing sustainable sourcing through close collaboration with suppliers.

“We continued to make progress on our sustainability performance last year, making a positive and far-reaching contribution to the sustainable development of our industry, the people and communities we serve, and the environment in which we live,” James added.

The new contemporary design First class sleep suits were made from 100 percent organic cotton by the airline’s supplier whose wholly owned vertical supply chain ensures that sustainable production methods are practiced from start to finish — cotton...

Inflight carpets were produced by regenerated waste materials such as discarded fish nets.