Sustainability
Flying is one of humankind’s greatest achievements, bringing people, places and diverse cultures closer together. We’re proud to fly millions of passengers each year, creating connections and driving growth. But flying comes at a cost and, as a hard to abate sector, we’re working to minimise our impact on the planet and maximise our contribution to society today through our BA Better World programme.
Everyone who joins British Airways has a role to play in delivering our sustainability vision and help drive positive change in the communities we serve around the world.
Our flightpath to net zero
Aviation has a significant impact on the environment, and at British Airways, we care about the impact of every flight. Our Flightpath to Net Zero carbon strategy is based on our 2019 baseline and will be delivered through a combination of aircraft and operational efficiencies, investments in new technology, sustainable aviation fuel (see below), and carbon removals.
Learn more in our latest sustainability report: Flightpath to Net Zero | BA Better World.
Sustainable aviation fuel
Sustainable Aviation Fuels (SAF) are defined in the Refuel EU Aviation Regulations as aviation fuels that are either synthetic aviation fuels, aviation biofuels or recycled carbon aviation fuels. Emission reductions from the use of SAF are measured as the reduction of carbon emissions on a greenhouse gas lifecycle basis, typically by 80% or more compared with the fossil jet fuels it replaces. We will be refuelling our aircraft with at least 10 percent SAF by 2030, in line with the UK government's SAF Mandate.
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New technology
We’re investing in new, modern aircraft that are approximately 20 – 35% more efficient than the aircraft they replace*, and we‘re improving how we plan, prepare and operate our flights. We’re also making changes on the ground including, increasing our use of renewable energy and HVO fuels.
* Based on British Airway’s operational data
Carbon removals
Carbon removals remove carbon dioxide from the atmosphere and store it long-term in biological or geological structures. Our portfolio includes both nature-based and engineered approaches that produce high quality and certified carbon removals credits. In addition, we’ve recently signed a deal to purchase innovative carbon removals credits in the UK and overseas as part of a six-year agreement.
On board
If you've flown with us, you’ll know that we’re working hard to reduce single-use plastic on board our aircraft. From removing plastic blanket wrappings from our flights to introducing duvets made from recycled plastic, we’re dedicated to finding innovative solutions that are better for the environment.
Earthshot
In 2024, we announced our partnership with The Earthshot Prize, a global environmental prize founded by Prince William in 2020. The prize is designed to discover, spotlight and scale the groundbreaking solutions we need to repair and regenerate the planet. We are already working with past finalists including LanzaTech and Notpla.
Responsible Business
We're incredibly proud of our Community Investment programme, which marks our commitment to investing in communities across our network and providing life-changing opportunities to help those who need it most.
Flying Start
Since 2010, British Airways customers and colleagues have raised over £30 million through our Flying Start partnership with Comic Relief. These donations have supported over one million people people living through the most challenging of times, in the UK and around the world.
BA Better World Community Fund
We launched the BA Better World Community Fund in April 2022 to create life-changing opportunities in communities across the UK. To date, we’ve supported more than 350 projects that align with our BA Better World sustainability programme.
Disasters Emergency Committee
For over a decade, we’ve partnered with the Disasters Emergency Committee (DEC), which brings together 15 leading aid charities to raise funds quickly and efficiently at times of crisis overseas. Since our partnership began, we have supported 14 appeals and raised more than £2 million in donations.
Colleague Community Champion programme
More than 4000 British Airways colleagues have volunteered to become Flying Start champions, taking on all manner of fundraising challenges including marathons and skydives. Our colleagues have also volunteered at projects across the UK including foodbanks, homeless projects, and community gardens.
Payroll Giving programme
We’re currently helping over 2,900 colleagues donate to 600 different causes through their payroll, generating nearly £1 million a year in charitable giving. In 2023, we maintained our Gold Accredited Standard for our Payroll Giving scheme.
Customer accessibility
We believe our unique British Airways’ service should be accessible to everyone, and we’re committed to making flights as easy as possible for customers travelling with disabilities. We’re continually improving our service and aim to become the airline of choice for customers with visible and non-visible disabilities.
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