Etihad Airways, the national airline of the UAE, have announced they are the first airline to join the Aviation Impact Accelerator (AIA), an international group of practitioners and academia convened by the University of Cambridge. The airline joins Boeing and Rolls-Royce who also announced their commitment to partner with AIA to accelerate their work towards net zero aviation and provide in-depth technical and policy expertise.
The announcement took place at the Aerospace Global Forum (AGF) on the opening day of Farnborough Airshow. The AGF is a brand-new platform at the Airshow aimed at driving immediate action towards net zero aviation. The AIA launched a new interactive tool aimed at accelerating the transition to net zero aviation, as well as hosting a number of panels and publishing a new report in collaboration with the World Economic Forum (WEF).
In commenting on Etihad’s commitment to the AIA, Prof. Rob Miller, Director Whittle Lab, University of Cambridge, said: “Achieving an aviation sector with no climate impact is one of society’s greatest challenges and it is only through a true partnership between industry, academia, and government that we will be able to understand the whole system and accelerate change. I am delighted that Etihad will be joining stage two of the Aviation Impact Accelerator, as the first air carrier partner. Together we will work to drive forward the transition to sustainable aviation.”
Tony Douglas, Group Chief Executive Officer, Etihad Aviation Group, said: “We are proud to be partnering with one of the world’s leading jet engine research labs to further support the decarbonisation of our industry. Etihad is committed to sustainability and the dedication of its fleet as flying test-beds for research and innovation through the Greenliner and Sustainable50 programmes, and this new collaboration with the University of Cambridge, through the Aviation Impact Accelerator, will allow for more industrial and academic synergy.”
Etihad’s partnership with the AIA is a result of years of research and development through its own Etihad Sustainability programme. The airline’s flagship Greenliner programme, in partnership with Boeing and GE, and its newly launched Sustainable50 programme in partnership with Airbus and Rolls Royce, offer a platform for technical expertise and genuine real time innovation and new technology advancement.
Earlier this year, the airline published the Etihad Airways Sustainability Report, deemed as a benchmark for the industry, demonstrating the potential advancements to be made in sustainable aviation by a wide range of initiatives.
Last week, Etihad was named Environmental Airline of the Year 2022 by Airline Ratings, the industry’s renowned ratings agency, for its pursuit and commitment towards aviation sustainability.
