Spain-headed low-cost air carrier Volotea S.L has revealed that it has been operating Airbus' internal shuttle service since mid-September with a 34 percent sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) blend uplifted in Hamburg, Germany for the round trip to France.
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According to a statement, Volotea was chosen in 2019 by the European aircraft manufacturer to operate the Airbus shuttle between its sites in Toulouse, France, and Hamburg, Germany from Monday to Friday.
In line with its commitment to support the use and accessibility of SAF, Volotea is now introducing, in collaboration with Airbus, a high percentage of sustainable fuels to its daily operations from Hamburg.
We are extremely proud to be taking increasing steps toward the decarbonization of the aviation industry with our partner Airbus. Our collaboration on the Airbus shuttle service is evolving in the best direction, as illustrated by the relentless commitment of our two companies to sustainable aviation, said Carlos Muñoz, Founder and CEO of Volotea.
Since its foundation in 2012, Volotea has carried out more than 50 sustainability projects, thanks to which it has reduced its carbon footprint per passenger and per kilometer by more than 40 percent.
Among other initiatives, Volotea participates in the development of alternative technologies capable of supporting a zero-emission future for the aviation sector. In addition, in 2021 Volotea started offsetting 5 percent of its total carbon emissions, aiming to reach a 25 percent reduction of its carbon footprint in 2025.
This year, the airline has started to introduce sustainable fuels to power its aircraft and is working with manufacturing and industrial players to make these fuels, which are currently difficult to access, available on a large scale in the shortest possible time.
In support of the transition towards sustainability, Volotea is also involved in an ambitious project aimed at developing the first 100 percent small commercial electric aircraft, which could be certified for flight by 2024.
Airbus A320 fleet
Volotea became a 100 percent Airbus carrier in 2021, replacing a significant part of its fleet with A320 Family aircraft.
Thanks to the use of aircraft with a greater capacity and longer flight range, the company was able to increase its efficiency.
With a fleet of 41 aircraft (2022), Volotea connects over one hundred small and medium-sized cities in Europe, operating direct flights which allow passengers to reduce flight times and thus fuel consumption footprint.
With a goal of increasing efficiency, over 90 percent of the flights operated by Volotea connect cities that cannot be connected to each other by train or car in less than six hours, while the average occupancy rate on board the carrier’s aircraft is between 90 and 95 percent.
Finally, Volotea plays a particularly significant role in guaranteeing the connectivity of European islands with the mainland – 65 percent of its flights provide connections to and from islands such as Sardinia, Sicily, Corsica, and Mallorca.
