CEOs call for ""radical collaboration"" to reach net zero

Virgin Atlantic and British Airways CEO’s have called for ""radical collaboration"" between Government, aviation fuel providers and the wider industry to reach net zero by 2050. Sitting on a panel with Julie Kitcher at the Sustainable Skies World Summit 2024, chief sustainability officer at Airbus and Brain Moran, chief sustainability officer at Boeing, Virgin Atlantic’s Shai Weiss and British Airways’ Sean Doyle discussed the positive steps made between the organisations and the increased investment in sustainable technology to reduce carbon emissions. Speaking of the panel discussion, Shai Weiss, CEO of Virgin Atlantic, said: “It's not often that you see two sets of competitors going toe to toe on stage, but today was unusual. “We agreed that radical collaboration is required for our industry to reach Net Zero by 2050 with a focus on the near-term, including fleet modernisation, wide adoption of Sustainable Aviation Fuel (SAF), as well as longer term technological innovation including Hydrogen and electrification. “Last week, Virgin Atlantic published much anticipated finding from Flight100 as an open resource to show the industry that SAF is a safe, 100% drop-in replacement for fossil fuels. Decarbonisation is a big issue for all of us and we need to get it right, so there is not a choice for consumers between flying and being green; and the approximately 60% of the world who have not yet flown. Our position at Virgin Atlantic is clear - if enough SAF is made, we will fly it.” On day one of the event, Anthony Browne MP, Minister for Aviation, Decarbonisation and the Future of Transport at the UK Department for Transport met with exhibitors at the show and held an exclusive industry roundtable to highlight the progress his department is making, and the Jet Zero Council held a working group meeting to discuss the efforts to deliver net zero and zero emission aviation through UK production of zero-emission flights and SAF. The following day Mark Harper MP, UK Secretary of State for Transport, joined the discussion on stage, sharing the government’s plans to power Britain to the forefront of sustainable aviation.