ENVIRONMENTAL
UPDATE
Green shoots
The Editor finds that from carriers to the cool chain, much is
being done to enhance the environment.
The world continues
to turn, COVID or no
COVID. So, too, does
the desire to make the planet
a healthier place in which to
exist. All the aviation sector
stakeholders are involved in
this grand design, and the
cargo chain is no exception to
the rule.
To take just one example,
Air France and KLM have a
strong involvement in the
development of a sustainable
market for aviation fuel.
Both Air France and KLM
have established innovative
partnerships with corporate
customers, suppliers, airports
and logistics partners.
A fuelling legacy
In order to ensure the supply
of sustainable feedstock, the
carriers have been members of
the Roundtable on Sustainable
Biomaterials since 2008, as
well as one of the founding
members of the Sustainable
Aviation Fuel Users Group.
In addition, KLM is one of
the founders of SkyNRG. In
2019, it made a decade-long
commitment to developing
and purchasing an annual
75,000 tonnes of Sustainable
Aviation Fuel, thereby
becoming the first airline in
the world to invest in SAF on
this scale. In November 2019,
Air France and Shell signed a
memorandum of undertaking
confirming their commitment
to fuelling the airline’s
flights on departure from
San Francisco with a blend of
conventional and sustainable
fuel for aviation.
Back in 2012, KLM
launched the KLM Corporate
BioFuel Programme, a first
corporate programme for
Sustainability on the ramp: KLM is testing
TLD’s TaxiBot in collaboration with
Schiphol airport
The ramp is not overlooked,
either. KLM is currently testing
TLD’s TaxiBot in collaboration
with Schiphol airport. The
TaxiBot is a hybrid towing
vehicle, making taxi-ing more
sustainable since it allows the
aircraft engines to be shut
down: the pilot operates the
actual pushback. Furthermore,
KLM is replacing all of its
diesel-powered lower deck
loaders with electric models
and is consequently the
world’s first airline to take this
step on such a large scale.
Within the cargo
warehouses at Charles de
Gaulle and Amsterdam, a
new energy-efficient lighting
system has replaced the
traditional set-up, enabling
an 80% saving (through a
reduction in energy and
maintenance costs), together
with an avoidance of 285
tonnes of CO2 emissions a
year.
Recycling efforts
AFKLMP Cargo also takes
several measures to reduce
waste or make sure recycling
occurs where possible. In
Amsterdam, efforts have
resulted in a residual waste
aviation related to sustainable
aviation fuel. Air France
has long supported the
development of a viable
industry for the production of
sustainable fuel for aviation.
It has been trialling the use of
such fuel on its commercial
flights since 2014 and invests
substantial sums in innovation
alongside research institutes.
Other initiatives
AFKLMP Cargo has looked
at every innovative idea
to reduce the weight of its
aircraft. The lighter an aircraft
is, the less fuel it consumes.
Consequently, lighter cargo
nets, containers and pallets are
deployed. In fact its cargo nets
are 50% lighter than standard
pallet nets and save 795 litres
of kerosene annually. This
accounts for 2.5 tonnes of CO2
reduction per year, per net.
26 August 2020 www.airlogisticsinternational.com
/www.airlogisticsinternational.com