Finnair has become the first airline in Europe to be certified for an Iata system designed to independently assess and improve an airline’s environmental standards.
The carrier has been named as only second in the world to be certified as a Stage 2 operator in the Iata Environmental Assessment (IEnvA) programme.
The move comes as the airline seeks a 20% cut in CO2 emissions by 2017 together with a 40% noise reduction and other green measures.
Finnair chief executive Pekka Vauramo said: “This certification is proof of our commitment to environmental leadership within the aviation industry.
“Environmental sustainability is at the core of Finnair’s operations and we are continuously working to improve our performance.
“We believe that developing common environmental standards and assessment for the aviation industry is important and we are proud to be the forerunners in this field.
“This is an issue that matters to our customers and we are pleased to be able to offer more sustainable options for their air travel.”
The airline’s chief operating officer Ville Iho added: “Everything we can do to minimise our carbon profile as an airline is a benefit for the environment and for our ability to generate shareholder value.
“In the long run, however, environmental performance is like safety – it is something that all airlines benefit from with sector-wide co-operation.
“The standards of the IEnvA programme help us and all airlines improve fuel efficiency, reduce waste and limit greenhouse gas emissions in our operations.”
IEnvA Stage 1 – which Finnair reached in 2013 along with a small pilot group of other airlines—ensures a carrier has developed the foundation and framework for its environmental management system. Stage 1 also certifies an airline has identified and complied with its environmental legal requirements.
Stage 2 ensures that an airline has implemented all of the IEnvA Programme Standards, identified and mitigated its significant environmental impacts and has set performance targets.
Stage 2 also certifies that an airline has developed processes for monitoring and reviewing its performance against its targets and objectives, thus driving environmental efficiency.
The scope of IEnvA is limited to flight operations and corporate activities, but modules covering ground and other operations are under development.