THE GREEN WATCH ➔ A greener shade of orange
may not sound huge, when scaled up across its entire fleet and annual spend, it could represent a saving of up to £14million off its annual fuel bill of over £730million. EasyJet says its passengers
LOW-COST carrier easyJet has become the first commercial airline to experiment with the use of a 'nano-technology' paint coating designed to reduce aircraft drag and hence increase fuel efficiency. Already in use on a variety
of US military aircraft, the ultra-thin coating – and here comes the technical bit – is a polymer that cross-links and bonds to the paint service, adding a mere four ounces to
the overall weight of the aircraft. By reducing drag that is normally induced by the build up of dirt and debris, the manufacturer of the coating estimates a one to two per cent reduction in fuel consumption. The airline has coated eight aircraft with the material and will compare their fuel usage with the rest of the fleet during a 12-month trial period. While a one to two per cent reduction in fuel consumption
are already responsible for 22 per cent fewer carbon emissions than a passenger on a traditional airline on the same route on the same type of plane. This is partly down to the young average age of its fleet, but also its practice of using only one engine to taxi and cabin design elements such as lightweight carpets. “All airlines should be incentivised to reduce the environmental impact of their operations which is why we welcome the government's commitment to move from APD to a fairer, greener per plane tax. We look forward to seeing the details of their proposal, says easyJet’s ceo, Carolyn McCall.
➔ Duty free in the spotlight
into how the thinking with regard to air travel is changing. “We launched our global portal over a year ago for this coming market and a change in the thinking and habits of the air traveller. In fact, airport arrivals shopping is available in over 50 countries already.“ Smith continues, “Shopping
DUTY FREE shopping and its impact on carbon emissions might seem like a very small piece of a large environmental jigsaw when it comes to aviation, but Roger Gardner's article, Duty free's carbon cost, printed on these pages in our last issue, has attracted a number of interesting responses. Not least among them is that
of Ivor Smith, founder of Duty Free on Arrival Ltd. If the name of his company didn't give it away, Smith's interests lie in the
provision of duty free goods at the arrivals point of air journeys, thus saving travellers the effort of transporting their newly- purchased goods, as well as bypassing the associated carbon emissions of carrying such weight onboard. While it might appear to be
a somewhat niche topic, it is in fact already on the radar of UNEP, the United Nations Environment Programme. Ivor Smith explains, “The article was an intuitive insight
on arrival has significant gains for the traveller, not least the eco-benefits mentioned in Roger Gardener's article. Change is coming and he spotted this trend, as does UNEP who lists the practice of buying duty free on arrival as one of its top ten carbon-saving travel tips.“ “Roger also mentions home delivery, which is not legally permitted for duty or tax free travel concessions – but it is within the EU, as duty free does not exist. So those goods that you carry from Barcelona to Birmingham could easily be sold on the ground and on arrival,“ Smith concludes. A lesson for us all, perhaps.
Five minutes with... Barry Fleming
PROFILE
Marketing Manager, UK & Ireland BCD TRAVEL
Barry is responsible for the way BCD Travel is perceived in the marketplace. This was also his challenge previously at Capita and Portman Travel. "It’s about making sure everyone understands that the service promise we communicate is what has to be delivered to our customers," he says.
What is your most memorable business travel trip and why? It’s years ago now, but the landing approach into Kai Tak airport in Hong Kong remains memorable. And to this day, my wife teases me about my awful shiny suit that I had made-to-measure in 48 hours for $100!
What is your worst business travel experience and why? Arriving into Washington DC on the day of Bill Clinton’s second inauguration. The city was closed-off from North to South, and I had to get a train to Baltimore. Never mind the grid-lock, every train was packed with flag-waving Clintonites!
What is your favourite destination worldwide and why? This may sound corny, but the island of Kauai, Hawaii, where my wife and I had our honeymoon. It was truly other-worldly with breathtaking scenery and we would love to go back one day.
What three items do you never leave home without when on business? A memory stick, a back-up credit card and whatever the latest unorthodox business book is – by authors like Malcolm Gladwell – from airport bookshops that have advance copies, even before Amazon lists them!
What single thing could be done to improve your business travelling life? It’s the usual wish I’m afraid – a magical pass that allows me to upgrade to business class on any airline, anytime, and with an option to include travelling companions.
What destinations would you like to visit next and why? Chicago – because some old colleagues rave about the Windy City, but I’ve never been there; Japan – the idea of being a legal alien in the land of the rising sun appeals; and China – before Disneyland gets everywhere.
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