South African Airways (SAA) today joined the world’s first internationally benchmarked and transparent carbon offset programme, giving its passengers the opportunity to make voluntary contributions in the global effort to offset the effects of climate change.

The carbon offset programme allows SAA customers to offset a percentage of flight emissions.   SAA customers can conveniently purchase carbon offset credits together with their air tickets in a single transaction exclusively on flysaa.com.

“The environment, along with safety and security, is one of our top priorities and we are working constantly to limit and offset the impact on our environment,” explained SAA CEO, Siza Mzimela. “Through this entirely voluntary system, we are giving our customers the opportunity to make ours a better and more sustainable planet.”

The credits generated through the programme will fund projects which will assist communities to limit their impact on the environment, slowing the pace of climate change.

These internationally accredited projects are identified and administered by the International Air Transport Association (IATA), which also arranges carbon credit purchases and provides CO2 offset tracking for airlines. Customers have full visibility of their journey’s impact and the effect of their offset contribution in combatting climate change.

SAA has selected projects that follow strict auditing rules and are monitored by independent third parties and the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change.

SAA also supports the Uganda Stoves Project, which provides stoves to families in a country increasingly affected by deforestation and air pollution.  It aims to install 20 000 stoves annually. These efficient wood-burning stoves contribute to improved health by reducing both kitchen smoke and the numbers of trees that need to be cut down for fuel. Without the carbon offset funds, the new stoves are too expensive for most families and institutions.

“As an environmentally-conscious business, SAA continuously looks at growing its array of initiatives towards creating a healthier and cleaner environment. For example, our latest fleet additions – the Airbus A330-200 and A320 – are among the most fuel-efficient aircraft in the world and are powered by the latest versions of highly fuel-efficient jet engines,” said Mzimela.

SAA has also partnered with Airbus’s subsidiary, Quovadis, to design and implement new navigation performance procedures specifically designed to reduce fuel burn and CO2 emissions by saving about 20 nautical miles (about 37km) on approach for landing and 10 nautical miles (about 18.5km) during the climb after take-off. These distance savings translate directly into reduced fuel usage and lower emissions.