In the same month that Qatar Airways announced its intention to secure a 25 per cent stake in Virgin Australia, subject to regulatory approval, the pair of airlines have brought their partnership closer together by signing a Memorandum of Understanding to collaborate on sustainability challenges.
Virgin Australia and Qatar Airways are already codeshare partners
Sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) and low carbon aviation fuels are a significant focus of the new sustainability partnership, while waste and energy management, sustainable procurement and aviation workforce development are also on the table for the collaboration.
“This is our first sustainability-focused MoU with a partner airline, reflecting the growing and strategic nature of our relationship with Qatar Airways,” said Virgin Australia’s chief corporate affairs and sustainability officer, Christian Bennett.
“It allows Virgin Australia to harness the scale and expertise of the world’s best airline to help tackle a range of sustainability challenges – from the adoption of SAF-related solutions to customer solutions, to workforce development.”
The concentration on lowering fuel emissions through both SAF and low carbon fuels is of critical importance to the business events industry, where up to 80 per cent of an event’s emissions are thought to come from aviation – meaning the business events sector is dependent on the aviation ecosystem in order to decarbonise.
“This MoU not only further strengthens the strategic partnership between Qatar Airways Group and Virgin Australia, but also cements the shared commitment towards achieving our common objectives in the area of sustainability,” said Qatar Airways group senior vice president of aeropolitical and corporate affairs, Fathi Atti.
“Driving progress in environmental sustainability is something that is at the very heart of Qatar Airways’ corporate culture.
“We are at the forefront of the aviation sector’s efforts in various areas, evident though our work in climate change and waste management, as well as the successful introduction of an integrated environmental management system.
“We also recognise the importance of developing the industry’s long-term human capital.”
Like Virgin’s domestic competitor Qantas, Qatar has set a target of using 10 per cent SAF in its fuel mix by 2030. Virgin does not appear to have set a SAF target, but has committed to lowering its carbon emission intensity by 22 per cent by 2030.
