Fields of Green and Skies of Blue
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Each April, Earth Day reminds us to be good stewards of our environment. Not just for ourselves, but for generations to come. In spite of the economic challenges the aviation community has been battling, it continues to push forward on green initiatives, particularly emissions and noise.

With greater awareness come heightened expectations that whether you’re selling aircraft, providing aftermarket services or running an FBO, you’re doing so in an Earth-friendly way. Reducing. Reusing. Recycling. Switching out energy-gobbling incandescent bulbs for compact fluorescents. Building LEED-certified or LEED-informed facilities. Increased training through simulation. Making green an element of ongoing corporate social responsibility programs.

Taking Action Together

Leaders within the aviation industry are publicly declaring that they want to take environmental concerns to the next level. BBA Aviation family members Signature Flight Support and ASIG are shifting to eco-friendly ground-handling equipment through the use of clean natural gas and, in some cases, solar power. Qantas and British Airways are among those ramping up the buzz surrounding biofuels. Boeing, Airbus and Embraer recently announced plans to collaborate on affordable and sustainable new jet-fuel sources.  Boeing and Al Nippon Airways just flew a 787 Dreamliner using a biofuel blend – the first biofuel flight over the Pacific Ocean.

The Aviation Green Alliance, part of the Lindbergh Foundation, brings stakeholders together to address aviation’s environmental challenges. It welcomes all aviation-related companies and individuals committed to proactively addressing shared environmental concerns. Its founding members include Bombardier Aerospace, Cessna, Hawker Beechcraft, Jeppesen, FedEx, Fantasy of Flight, Sikorsky Innovations and BRS Aerospace.

This week as we reflect on and celebrate the aviation industry’s green advances, we also rededicate ourselves to keep building on these successes. Developing environmentally sound solutions is not just the right thing. It will make us all breathe easier.

Not part of the Alliance, but want to be? You can learn more at lindberghfoundation.org.

Originally published in the 26 April 2012 issue of BlueSky Business Aviation News