Hawaiian Airlines Goes Green for Earth Day
Hawaiian Airlines newest aircraft, the 294-seat Airbus A330-200. (PRNewsFoto/Hawaiian Airlines, Chad Slattery)
As part of Hawaiian Airlines’ pledge to lessen its environmental impact, the carrier will conduct a special demonstration flight on Earth Day, Friday, April 22.
Hawaiian will be the first airline to operate a demonstration flight between Auckland and Honolulu International Airports to showcase seven best practices in operational performance that greatly reduce fuel burn and carbon emissions.
The seven environmental markers have been outlined by the Asia and Pacific Initiative to Reduce Emissions (ASPIRE), a group of worldwide aviation leaders dedicated to advancing environmental stewardship in the industry.
The group certified Hawaiian’s application for this ASPIRE Daily City Pair route.
The seven marker are:
- User-Preferred Routes
- Dynamic Airborne Reroute Procedures
- 30/30 Reduced Oceanic Separation
- Time-based Arrivals Management
- Arrivals Optimization
- Departures Optimization
- Surface Movement Optimization
By implementing these ASPIRE procedures on the AKL-HNL route, using an Airbus A330 aircraft, Hawaiian will use 1% less fuel (approximately 1,000 pounds) per flight, which equates to 230 metric tons fewer carbon emissions annually.
According to equivalencies provided by the EPA, this is comparable to taking 48 cars off the road.
In addition, Hawaiian’s fuel-efficient fleet of Airbus A330s are equipped with Trent 700 Rolls-Royce engines, netting 700 fewer tons of carbon emissions per aircraft per year.
“As Hawai‘i’s flagship carrier, we remain committed to protecting our environment for future generations and reducing our carbon footprint every day and on every flight,” said Ken Rewick, Hawaiian’s vice president of flight operations. “We can do this by optimizing our existing technology and maximizing efficiency in all phases of flight. We look forward to the successful completion of ASPIRE goals on this historic and symbolic Earth Day journey, and the opportunity to apply for more city-pairs in the future.”
In 2008, Airservices Australia, Airways New Zealand and the Federal Aviation Administration joined forces to create ASPIRE. The joint venture is designed to lessen the environmental impact of aviation across Asia and the South Pacific.
To qualify as an ASPIRE-Daily route, aircraft must be equipped with advanced avionics, including satellite-based Required Navigation Performance avionics and the Future Air Navigation System.
Hawaiian will use advanced air traffic management procedures from gate to gate and collaborate with air navigation service providers, including Airways New Zealand and the FAA, to demonstrate all seven of ASPIRE’s best practices.
“Airways New Zealand has delivered a number of airspace enhancements over the last eight years that contribute to the growth of sustainability in aviation,” Airways Head of Auckland Operations Tim Boyle said. “It is assisting its customer airlines to reduce C02 emissions by more than 37,000 tons annually.”
“It’s encouraging that Hawaiian Airlines is taking advantage of efficiencies in our airspace,” Boyle said. “We look forward to facilitating their success by coordinating activities at Auckland Airport, and throughout air space in New Zealand and the South Pacific.”
The ASPIRE HA Flight 446 will be piloted by Captain Brian Beres, and First Officers Mark Langton and Eric Bethke. Dispatcher Kent Sharrar will plan the flight, scheduled to depart Auckland International Airport at 12:15 a.m. and arrive at Honolulu International Airport at 11 a.m. HST.
For more about Hawaiian Airlines, go online.
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