Etihad Airways, the national airline of the UAE, has been named Environmental Airline of the Year 2023 for the second year running in the prestigious Airline Ratings awards.

The awards, which acknowledge the best of the aviation industry by ranking airlines on their innovation, route networks and safety score against strict assessment criteria, recognised Etihad for its commitment to sustainable aviation through innovation and collaboration, along with its dedication to drive change and results from Abu Dhabi.

As well as being crowned Environmental Airline of the Year, Etihad took third in Airline Ratings’ Top 20 Airlines award, which critiques airlines on comfort, innovation, value and safety across Economy, Business and First Class.

Etihad's sustainability strategy is focussed on achieving emissions reductions through in-sector measures, aligning with industry roadmaps and frameworks, collaborating with UAE industrial ecosystems, and remaining transparent and proactive regarding sustainability issues within the aviation industry.

In its most recent sustainability report released in May 2023, Etihad announced it had achieved a 26 per cent reduction in CO2 emissions per Revenue Tonne Kilometre (RTK). This achievement is underpinned by Etihad’s flagship sustainability initiatives, including the Greenliner programme, which uses the airline’s fleet of Boeing 787 Dreamliners as flying test-beds, as well as the Sustainable50 A350-1000.

Antonoaldo Neves, Group Chief Executive Officer, Etihad Aviation Group, said: “We take great pride in reducing our CO2 RTK by 26 per cent. This achievement is a testament to the dedication and efforts of our team to drive our sustainability agenda and we thank them for their contributions. I am also very proud of our overall achievements, which go beyond delivering direct CO2 reductions but explore innovative solutions to the broader challenges facing aviation sustainability, as you can see in our annual report.”

Geoffrey Thomas, Editor-in-Chief, AirlineRatings.com, said: “Etihad Airways has demonstrated its leadership in the push for sustainable flight with its Greenliner Boeing 787 programme and last year with its Sustainability50, A350 aircraft. In every aspect, Etihad Airways staff and management are committed to reducing the airline’s CO2 footprint and it shows. The rallying phrase is a million things count in reducing emissions and thus the focus is all-consuming. The airline’s Sustainability Report 2021-2022 demonstrates the potential advancements to be made in sustainable aviation by a wide range of initiatives.”

Etihad’s 2023 sustainability achievements include:

  • 26% reduction in CO2 emissions per Revenue Tonne Kilometre (RTK)
  • Five A350 aircrafts joined the Etihad fleet
  • Planted 68,916 Mangrove trees as part of Etihad Mangroves Forest project
  • Recycled 29,000+ plastic bottles by employees with DGrade
  • Saved 770,000+ litres of water from waterless bus washing
  • 3,700+ tonnes of CO2 offset by guests
  • Operating more than 40 ecoFlights in 2022
  • 4.9m+ carbon neutral air kilometres flown by guests
  • Announced new circular economy dining service
  • An expansion on the brand’s green loyalty offering with Corporate Conscious Choices
  • Continued developing the Sustainable Aviation Fuel roadmap
  • Operated the first Etihad Net Zero flight powered entirely by Sustainable Aviation Fuel (SAF) Book and Claim

To see Etihad’s full sustainability report click here