DALLAS — KLM Royal Dutch Airlines (KL), the world’s oldest airline, is renovating its fleet, replacing the ageing Boeing 737s with the brand new A321neos, increasing capacity while lowering noise and fuel consumption.

Renovating a fleet is always the most efficient way to cut emissions. However, there is much more an airline can do. We discussed the airline’s operations and targets with Remona van der Zon, Director Sustainability. 

Economics vs sustainability: where has KLM found its sweet spot?

It is a difficult balance indeed. On one hand, economics remains a vital aspect of any business. We want to keep flying for another 105 years, and this requires a combination of both business and sustainability.

On one hand, basic economics drives the business, simple as that. On the other, sustainability comes at a cost and often impacts all the business aspects. To be able to invest in new projects and initiatives, we must be able to have a stable position as a company. Finding the balance between these two topics is indeed tricky.

Sometimes, though, the two aspects go together, such as fuel consumption reduction, which grants us a sweet spot. The main subject for an airline these days is indeed climate impact, and local debates also involve noise footprint. The big challenge for which we have to find a solution for is the reduction of CO2 emissions, which remains our top priority at the moment.

Is there a part to blame when it comes to air travel emissions?

We all have our share of responsibility, from consumer to company, from government to regulators. For example, the government has the responsibility to steer towards the right direction and ensure that aviation is on the path to a sustainable future. Likewise, the consumer can make an impact with their choices, from bringing lighter items to purchasing SAF in their tickets. There is not a specific part that should be blamed; however, we are all playing the same game, and ultimately, the goal is to improve this industry. And we have a responsibility to invest in new fleet to reduce our CO2 emission, and much more. 

Where does KLM stand when it comes to sustainable aviation fuel? Are the international goals feasible, or is it possible to do more?

We are a promotor of having a worldwide culture for sustainable aviation fuel. We have this in Europe now, with Refuel EU, with the target of achieving 2% of SAF use this year, increasing to 6% by 2030. The question is: how much can we go beyond these goals, and how can we achieve that? We will meet the European goals, however, it is not enough, and our ambition is to do more.

We aim to use 10% SAF by 2030. The price gap is an obstacle that we need to overcome, as the production rate is still not enough to satisfy the potential demand and lower the cumulative price of sustainable aviation fuel.

What initiatives have taken place to bring innovation across the day-to-day operations?

The Aviation Challenge is a SkyTeam initiative that came out of a group of KLM colleagues during COVID-19 to stimulate our industry to become more sustainable. It is nice that, after a few editions, we could already appreciate some of the results. For example, regarding fuel consumption, we worked hard to optimise the centre of gravity of our long-haul adventure. This involved a collaboration between multiple departments to create an ideal build-up of cargo loads, optimising the weight distribution.

We tested this work once during The Aviation Challenge, and we have now implemented it across some of our flights, including the long-haul route to Singapore. We are also sharing the results with other airlines for common benefit across the industry. One more innovation is delivered by the optimisation of the aircraft’s initial climb as well as catering options, tailoring our onboard numbers based on data that we collected on different flights.

Single-use plastic is indeed a hot topic these days. How is KLM coping with the use of plastic, and what is being done to minimise on-board waste?

We are complying with European Union regulations. However, sometimes, the use of plastic can be based on the life cycle analysis of different products. In some cases, thanks to the light weight of the material, it is still preferable to employ plastic as opposed to the increased weight of the equivalent. If its lightweight and recyclability allow it to be recycled, plastic can still represent an environmental advantage.

Similarly, one of the most impactful ways to reduce our waste is by enforcing data-driven decisions when it comes to food. Based on passengers' habits, we were able to offer a combination of sandwiches and banana bread. The former is usually consumed first on flights, and the latter allows to be consumed as a backup.

Investing in a new fleet is always the best way to reduce fuel consumption. However, new aerodynamic films are being rolled out, allowing to cut emissions from long-haul flights by up to 1%. Is KLM looking into these options as a potential investment?

We are studying these options carefully because we would like to see everything that can reduce our fuel consumption. AeroSHARK is one of them, and more companies are developing their own products to enter the market. We think it is an amazing technology application. However, as these films are relatively new, there may be concerns regarding their long-term applicability and operations.

We are looking into the potential benefits, as some airlines have been successfully using the drag-reduction technology for a while now. There is also a certification aspect; the Boeing 777 has been proven suitable for the application of drag-reducing coatings, however, there may be more opportunities with other aircraft too.

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