Virgin Atlantic
sustainability report
Winter 2011/2012
It’s hard to believe it’s been more than a year since we published our last brief sustainability report. A lot’s happened in those months and we hope you’ll find this report a good way to find out about our progress, as well as what you can look forward to hearing about in reports to come.
There’s no getting away from the fact that aviation impacts on the environment, so we’re doing what we can to promote sustainable solutions for our business and the wider industry. The next few pages detail the steps we’re taking to improve our environmental performance across a range of areas, as well as to drive sustainable development in our destinations through our community investment work. We believe in a sustainable future for aviation, and whilst there’s still a lot to do, we’ve made some great progress so far.
“We’re proud to be putting sustainability at the heart of our business. The last year has been an exciting time for us, with the arrival of the first of our new, more fuel-efficient aircraft – the Airbus A330s – which will shave up to 15% per seat off our fuel and carbon emissions compared to the aircraft they are replacing. We also don’t forget what happens on the ground and have recently replaced our car and commercial vehicle fleets with more fuel efficient options. Actions like this are vital in helping us make progress towards our environmental targets, and signal our commitment to our passengers and staff to be a world leader in sustainable aviation.”
Julie Southern, Virgin Atlantic CCO
Sustainability Report | 1
Big picture
Aviation is a truly global business, where airlines from around the world operate and compete on the same routes. We believe that to ensure a sustainable future for aviation, the industry needs to work together. An airline like ours can make a difference in its own right, but it can make an even bigger difference by also encouraging the industry to work together in key areas, so that
Winter 2011/2012
It’s hard to believe it’s been more than a year since we published our last brief sustainability report. A lot’s happened in those months and we hope you’ll find this report a good way to find out about our progress, as well as what you can look forward to hearing about in reports to come.
There’s no getting away from the fact that aviation impacts on the environment, so we’re doing what we can to promote sustainable solutions for our business and the wider industry. The next few pages detail the steps we’re taking to improve our environmental performance across a range of areas, as well as to drive sustainable development in our destinations through our community investment work. We believe in a sustainable future for aviation, and whilst there’s still a lot to do, we’ve made some great progress so far.
“We’re proud to be putting sustainability at the heart of our business. The last year has been an exciting time for us, with the arrival of the first of our new, more fuel-efficient aircraft – the Airbus A330s – which will shave up to 15% per seat off our fuel and carbon emissions compared to the aircraft they are replacing. We also don’t forget what happens on the ground and have recently replaced our car and commercial vehicle fleets with more fuel efficient options. Actions like this are vital in helping us make progress towards our environmental targets, and signal our commitment to our passengers and staff to be a world leader in sustainable aviation.”
Julie Southern, Virgin Atlantic CCO
Sustainability Report | 1
Big picture
Aviation is a truly global business, where airlines from around the world operate and compete on the same routes. We believe that to ensure a sustainable future for aviation, the industry needs to work together. An airline like ours can make a difference in its own right, but it can make an even bigger difference by also encouraging the industry to work together in key areas, so that