The Cathay Pacific Group has released its 2019 sustainable development report highlighting its efforts in moving towards greener aviation, and its community engagement initiatives.
These endeavours focus on climate change, the efficient use of resources, waste management, and supporting people and community.
The Hong Kong airline said that it has set a target to reduce its single-use plastic footprint by 50 per cent by the end of 2022, removing nearly 200 million pieces of single-use plastic from its operations annually.
The carrier has also introduced new efficiency initiatives, added six new, more fuel-efficient Airbus A350s to its fleet, and scaled up climate change risk and mitigation planning.
In addition, Cathay also committed to the continued support of communities through its Cathay ChangeMakers initiative, which aims to recognise citizens who have made positive contributions to society; and its I Can Fly programme, which recruits Hong Kong students who show a passion for aviation.
Cathay Pacific CEO, Augustus Tang, said: “At the time of preparing this report, a public health emergency has rocked the global economy. It feels more important than ever to foster positivity, to protect our people, to strengthen our communities and to confront the major challenges we face.
“We are very determined to play our part in this hugely important undertaking; one which requires us to be financially successful but in a socially and environmentally responsible manner. Our commitment to developing sustainably with transparency and accountability is undiminished.”
Skyscanner has launched a new service allowing airlines to showcase their fare options and extra ancillaries at the start of the user journey so travellers can make informed and value-based booking decisions.
The Fare Families functionality, which is within Skyscanner’s direct booking platform, has been designed to maximise fare revenue.
Accessible pricing (51 per cent) and clear airline policies (49 per cent) were named as the top types of information that travellers would look for once restrictions were lifted in a recent Skyscanner survey.
Airlines including Aeroflot and Westjet are among the first to go live with the new service, showing travellers their wide range of fare options and ancillaries content such as checked bags, seat selection and priority boarding. The content is displayed within a seamless and mobile optimised branded flow, without the need for re-directs to complete the final purchase.
Singapore Airlines, Norwegian, S7 and Virgin Atlantic have also been on-boarded and will soon be able to display their own fare options and ancillaries to travellers.
Skyscanner commercial director Cat King said in a statement: “The travel industry is at the beginning of a recovery journey, and as part of that journey, we want to set our airline partners up for success. As the shift to mobile accelerates, travellers will demand more choice and information upfront, as well as simpler and faster ways to book using their phones.”