SAUDIA invests in innovative sustainability programs

Saudi Arabian Airlines (SAUDIA) is making important steps to secure its place as an industry-leading airline for its commitment to environmental responsibility, seeing sustainability management as an integral part of its corporate strategy. The aim is to promote the future of sustainable flying and to minimize emissions. As part of this objective, SAUDIA is committed to a variety of sustainability projects and new environmentally friendly initiatives, such as:

Green Points Program: SAUDIA was first in the world to implement Green Points, a program that rewards passengers for helping to protect the environment. The program was implemented on a flight from Jeddah to Madrid on 12 May during The Sustainable Flight Challenge (TSFC), presented by the SkyTeam Alliance. SAUDIA guests can reduce food wastage and landfill contributions by pre-selecting their meals during online check-in – which will also reduce the weight of stock on board and save fuel.

The Green Points Program offers guests the option to travel with less luggage, which is incentivised by a generous allocation of Green Points. This approach makes a significant contribution towards fuel efficiency.

Voluntary Carbon Market Initiative: SAUDIA is the first airline partner in the MENA region to partner in the Voluntary Carbon Market Initiative, which was launched last year. As part of Saudi Arabia’s vision to achieve net zero emissions by 2060 and reduce its impact on climate change, The Public Investment Fund (PIF) has established the voluntary carbon market. The initiative reflects the interests of companies seeking to reduce their carbon footprint through new innovations such as expanding renewable energy or advancing green hydrogen. Partners in this market are five leading Saudi Arabian companies, including the national carrier SAUDIA. SAUDIA’s participation in the voluntary carbon market plays a key role in reducing carbon emissions and is a milestone in the history of the national carrier.

Sustainability Flight Challenge: Another sustainability initiative to minimise the ecological footprint and the production of emissions is the active integration of customer feedback. On flight SV590 from Jeddah to Dubai on 8 October 2022, guests on board were asked their ideas for a more environmentally friendly approach to air travel.150 exciting ideas were collated between the passengers and the SAUDIA team during this flight.

eVTOL: In collaboration with Munich-based start-up Lilium, SAUDIA is investing in zero-emission air travel to promote oil independence as part of its Vision 2030. SAUDIA has plans to purchase 100 of the Lilium-Jet electric-powered air taxis to serve point-to-point connections and seamless hub connections for business class customers within Saudi Arabia. The vertical take-off and landing electric jets have a range of 175 kilometers and can accommodate up to 6 passengers. With this partnership, SAUDIA is investing in an innovative eVTOL network of air taxis that aims to promote sustainable tourism in Saudi Arabia.

Formula E: As the official airline partner of the first electric-powered motorsport racing series Formula E, and as title partner of the inaugural SAUDIA Ad Diriyah E-Prix, SAUDIA has launched a new campaign this year to connect Formula E fans worldwide and promote the sustainable sport. For this purpose, SAUDIA and its SkyTeam partners will fly to all host cities on the race calendar next year. Rome, Berlin, New York, London and Seoul will be on the flight schedule.

In recognition of their sustainable commitment, SAUDIA has recently won numerous awards. In addition to the AVB Award 2022 for the most sustainable airline, SAUDIA was announced as the winner of the customer engagement category in the SkyTeam Sustainable Flight Challenge. The airline was also a finalist in three other categories: largest CO2 reduction on medium-haul routes, lowest CO2 emissions in ground handling and best sustainable innovation.