May 2 2023  |  Airline & Terminal News

Hawaiian Airlines releases plan to reduce carbon emissions

By Reedah Hayder


Last year, Hawaiian Airlines contributed to $10.2 billion worth of economic activity in Hawaiʻi


Hawaiian Airlines today announced its plan of net-zero carbon emissions by 2050.

The airline’s plan is outlined in its 2023 Corporate Kuleana (Responsibility) report, which highlights the carrier’s progress on Environmental, Social and Governance (ESG) priorities. The report shows that over the past year, the airline has made significant strides in achieving sustainability objectives such as reaching net-zero greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions by 2050, using less single-use plastics in cabin service and providing more locally sourced food onboard.

Hawaiian Airlines’ roadmap to lower carbon emissions involves setting incremental goals aimed at reducing greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions, particularly through a focus on moving towards using sustainable aviation fuel (SAF). Beginning in 2029, the airline is committed to purchasing 50 million gallons of SAF from Gevo, a biofuel company. In the short term, the airline has pledged to achieve a 45 percent reduction in lifecycle jet fuel emissions per revenue ton mile by 2035 and replace 10 percent of traditional jet fuel with SAF by 2010.

“These targets, particularly those within the next decade, are a rallying cry for our organization to act urgently to address our carbon emissions,” Hawaiian Airlines President and CEO Peter Ingram said in the Corporate Kuleana Report’s welcome note. “We must also continue to partner with fuel producers and the airline industry, as well as states and the federal government to help accelerate SAF production and distribution at commercially viable prices.”

Hawaiian is making efforts to eliminate single-use plastics from their inflight service by 2029. The airline managed to reduce single-use plastic per transpacific flight by seven percent less in the previous year compared to 2021. It also increased locally produced food and beverage items served on flights departing from Hawaiʻi to 32 percent of its budget — up from 29 percent in 2021 and closer to its goal of spending 40 percent on local products by 2025.

Working on regrowth after the pandemic, the airline hired 1,371 new employees over the past year — about 20 percent of its year-end workforce of 7,108 people. All union agreements under Hawaiian were successfully negotiated with significant wage enhancements for all labour groups. To address future recruitment needs, the carrier has developed several school-to-career pipeline partnerships aimed at motivating students to pursue aviation and technology careers and expanding the airline’s access to talent, especially in Hawai’i.

“Our commitment to diversity, inclusion and belonging remains an important driver of our recruitment and retention strategy. We continue to expand our searches for qualified veterans, women and other historically underrepresented groups,” Hawaiian noted in its report, which highlights that 80 percent of employees identify as racially or ethnically diverse and nearly half as female. “In 2022, we were proud to once again lead major U.S. airlines in having the highest percentage of women pilots at more than 9.5 percent, well above the 5.8 percent 2021 global average.”

According to an economic impact study commissioned by Hawaiian, the airline is still playing a significant role in bolstering the economy of its home state. In 2022, it contributed to $10.2 billion worth of economic activity in Hawaiʻi and generated over $600 million in state tax revenue.

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