3 Airlines Working to be More Environmentally Friendly

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With the environment at the forefront of many marketing plans and businesses scrambling to invoke a greener image, it just makes good business sense to create moreenvironmentally friendly operating plans. The airline industry has been no exception and with planes that emit large amounts of carbon dioxide it’s no wonder there’s been a real movement to appeal to modern consumers by reducing their carbon footprint. What airlines are making the biggest changes in how they do business? Here are some of the names who are making the largest strides.

Continental Airlines: With over 44,000 employees and an annual income of 13.1 billion, Continental has a lot of weight to throw around in the airline industry. The company has been working with Boeing on developing more efficient aircraft as well as finding ways to get the most from their existing fleet, spending over $16 billion on new aircraft andimprovements. The company also has several environmental consultants on staff, regularly tracks its carbon dioxide emissions and recycles and reuses everything it can. The improvements seem to be paying off, as the company has reduced its nitrogen oxide output 75% in the last 10 years.
Virgin Atlantic Airways: Billionaire and Virgin owner Richard Branson has offered a $25 million dollar reward to anyone who can come up with a practical and functioning greenhouse gas removal system.Branson has also promised to contribute a large sum of money (estimates put it at over $3 billion) to searching for alternate energy sources that are renewable or less harmful for the environment. In addition, the airline announced plans in 2005 to begin researching the possibility of using organic fuels rather than fossil fuels. The company also came up with the idea for a starting grid, where airplanes are towed before take-off rather than idling for hours, wasting up to 50% less fuel.
Alaska Airlines: It makes sense that an airline named after a state known for its pristine wilderness would be a forerunner in the green airline movement. The planes owned by the airline are relatively new, and represent models that are more efficient than those owned by other airlines. The airline also mandates that pilots use practices designed to conserve fuel and reduce emissions. In addition, they’ve initiated a large recycling program on their flights and on the ground, and even their office buildings were designed with being green in mind.

This post was contributed by Tara Miller, who writes about the online management degrees. She welcomes your feedback at TaraMillerr00 at yahoo.com