In the aviation industry, an industry which by its very nature seems to be detrimental to the environment, the pursuit toward minimizing air pollution and addressing component companies’ carbon footprint continues as airlines worldwide continue to work to tackle the prominent issue. 

Delta Airlines has become the latest player to equip itself to reduce carbon emissions and improve fuel economy. On Friday, the airline announced a sustainable fuel partnership with Deloitte as part of its plan to ultimately operate more eco-friendly business travel for partner companies.

“We must work together toward a more sustainable, healthy future. This collaboration with Deloitte is one example of how companies can work together to meet goals we are equally passionate about,” Delta CEO Ed Bastian said. “Sustainability is core to who we are, and it is important to our corporate customers for whom air travel is a significant part of their carbon footprint.”

The SkyTeam airline alliance carrier intends to facilitate its sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) agreement with Deloitte through a separate deal the airline already has with Neste, an SAF producer for aircraft. In the agreement, Delta and Deloitte will arrange the collaboration to lead to roughly 1,000 metric tons in reductions of carbon emissions. 

“Delta’s continued focus on sustainability, especially during a pandemic that has severely impacted its business, speaks volumes,” Joe Ucuzoglu, Deloitte U.S. CEO, said. “By collaborating with Delta to increase the use of sustainable aviation fuel, Deloitte is proud to positively impact our carbon footprint while investing in a more sustainable future.”

The Airline’s Next-Generation Engine

In early February, Delta’s TechOps aviation maintenance department reached a special milestone through the completion of its first engine maintenance visit. One of the carrier’s 35 brand new Airbus A330-900neos — slated to become a workhorse for its long-haul operations — received service to get equipped with the aircraft’s next-generation, Rolls Royce Trent 7000 engines. 

“This successful milestone furthers the progression of Delta TechOps’ next-generation engine programs,” Mike Moore, S.V.P., Maintenance Operations, said. “Our teams continue to perform world-class work despite the many challenges posed by the pandemic. We look ahead to expanded volumes of these next-generation engine types in 2021 and beyond, especially the service work to be done for our MRO customers,” a commitment portrayed by the airline’s decision to operate more efficient and fuel economical engines.

Upon completing this notable milestone, the airline’s TechOps division plans to continue repairing and testing different aspects of the engines while improving the maintenance facilities and the airline’s hangars.

While Delta’s recent agreement with Deloitte highlights its progress toward achieving the airline industry’s goal of transitioning to more eco-friendly operations, there is still work to be done on the airline’s aircraft and engines. But the airline is working on tackling the issue from multiple angles in hopes that it can be the U.S. leader in sustainable operations.

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Benjamin Pham

Benjamin has had a love for aviation since a young age, growing up in Tampa with a strong interest in airplane models and playing with them. When he moved to the Washington, D.C. area, Benjamin took part in aviation photography for a couple of years at Gravelly Point and Dulles Airport, before dedicating planespotting to only when he traveled to the other airports. He is an avid, world traveler, having been able to reach 32 countries, yearning to explore and understand more cultures soon. Currently, Benjamin is an Air Transporation Management student at Arizona State University. He hopes to enter the airline industry to improve the passenger experience and loyalty programs while keeping up to how technology is being integrated into airports.

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