The Sustainable Flight Challenge
More sustainable solutions
Air travel currently isn’t sustainable. The Sustainable Flight Challenge helps us and other airlines develop new ideas for sustainable solutions. All airlines share their ideas and solutions, everyone learns from each other.
If possible, we implement these initiatives and/or solutions after the challenge. The airline that implements the most ideas from the Sustainable Flight Challenge afterwards wins an award.
New ideas
In addition to successful ideas from the last Challenge, we’ve also developed new ideas for this year’s Challenge. Here are 2 of our new initiatives:
- Our fuel supplier has improved our Sustainable Aviation Fuel (SAF, a more sustainable alternative for the fuel we use for our planes: kerosene), to save more CO₂ emissions.
- We try out different meals on board to reduce the impact of our food chain.
Sustainability efforts
The Sustainable Flight Challenge initiatives aren’t the only initiatives we use to increase our sustainability. We add 1% Sustainable Aviation Fuel to the fuel system at Amsterdam Airport Schiphol for all flights departing from there, and invest in fleet renewal, recycling, noise reduction etc.
- The challenge is focused on environmental sustainability.
- There are 3 distance categories: short-haul (under 1500 km), medium-haul (1500-3000 KM) and long-haul (5000-10.000 KM). Participants must perform a return trip; the so-called turn-around at the destination is also part of the end score.
- Airlines pick 1 return flight per category on an existing route.
- The challenge starts when the plane is brought to the gate and is prepared for flight. The challenge ends for KLM at Amsterdam Airport Schiphol. The challenge isn’t solely about the flight but also sustainable solutions before departure.
- Measurements will be compared to the other participating airlines.
- ‘Greatest CO₂ reduction’ awards will be measured against each airline’s own baseline set of reference flights with the same aircraft type in the same distance bound.
- Participating airlines may choose to compensate for any remaining CO₂ emissions from the chosen flights.
- Participants in the challenge will be judged in all categories.
- Participating airlines commit to sharing all innovative solutions, data and experiences.
In 2023, 22 airlines participate in the Sustainable Flight Challenge. In addition to SkyTeam members, partners and daughter companies also participate in the Challenge.
There are 2 main award categories: Flight Impact Awards and Challenge Contribution Awards. A jury selects 1 winner from 5 finalists.
Flight Impact Awards
- Greatest CO₂ reduction
- Lowest CO₂ emissions
- Lowest CO₂ emissions ground ops
- Best inflight waste management (recycling)
Challenge Contribution Awards
- Best Innovation
- Best Adoption
- Best Collaboration
Employee Sustainability Challenge
Our employees are involved in the flights participating in the Sustainable Flight Challenge. Employees shared their ideas for the Challenge during the Employee Sustainability Challenge. Around 130 ideas were shared.
Share knowledge
After the Challenge, all participating airlines can share their knowledge and experiences during an event and on an online platform. Participants can partake in workshops about recycling, optimum flight routes, and more. On this day, the awards will be presented.
What is SkyTeam?
KLM is part of SkyTeam, a global network of 20 airlines working together to provide millions of passengers with the best travel experience. We aim to challenge ourselves, each other, and the industry to innovate. We want a sustainable future for aviation, and innovation is part of that. Innovation will help us to transition from flying more to flying better.