First, the NBAA accredits sustainable flight departments

The NBAA has announced the members of its inaugural class in its audit-based Sustainable Flight Division Accreditation Program. According to the NBAA, the program provides its members with a standardized way to demonstrate the steps they are taking to reduce their environmental impact.

Launched earlier this year, a program that was designed to promote industry best practices in sustainability, is not limited to flight departments. The standard provides education and checklists of activities ranging from the sustainable use of aviation fuel to recycling and minimizing energy consumption. It includes four areas of action: flight, ground support, operations and infrastructure.

Applicants may register for assessment in one or all four areas. Initial accreditors include Mente (flights), Monarch Air Group dba Mercury Jets (operations), Netflix (flights, operations, ground support and infrastructure), Steelcase (flights) and Textron Aviation Service Center in Wichita (ground support). Several subjects who wished to remain anonymous were also accredited.

“This is a key moment in our industry’s commitment to sustainability,” said NBAA President and CEO Ed Bolen. “We are taking bold steps to dramatically reduce our climate impact and achieve our goal of zero flight by 2050.”