A full flight…or no flight! This is why we decided not to Fly to COP29 this year

🌍✈️ ✈️🌍

In our commitment to less polluting aviation and minimizing our carbon footprint, we have made the difficult decision not to proceed with our flight to COP29 due to current booking levels falling short of our 90% utilization goal. Flying with lower occupancy would increase the carbon footprint per passenger in a manner inconsistent with our ambitions.

To provide ample time for all involved to make alternative travel arrangements, we informed customers and provided a 100% refund. We also wanted to inform you and other parties still considering our flight promptly.

Fortunately, we have generated significant enthusiasm among you, the Dutch, Belgian and French delegations and various organisations and companies in and around BENELUX. We hope these parties will remain enthusiastic about transforming aviation together in the future.

Despite not proceeding, we want to celebrate some accomplishments achieved after months of dedicated effort:

  • Charter Operators: We secured three quotations and enthusiastic collaborations with legacy airlines ready to perform our flight from Schiphol or Brussels of which we selected one, aligning with our ambition to account for 100% Sustainable Aviation Fuel (SAF) and other operational measures.
  • Outreach and Sales: We connected with hundreds of companies and over a thousand potential COP29 attendees, confirming willingness to pay 1500 EUR for a less polluting flight was not the blocking point. We managed to get the active interest and support from the Dutch, Belgian and French climate negotiation delegations. 
  • Back-End Processes: Together with enthusiastic partners, we successfully established necessary processes like contrail avoidance, charter contracting, less polluting flight dispatch, pilot/crew briefings for reduced CO2 emissions and fuel consumption, ticket sales, and terms & conditions.

Some key learnings from this experience include:

  • Travel Plans and Conference Schedule: Travel dates varied significantly, with many attendees opting for different times than our planned flight. Attempts to manage a 4-day trip for a 14-day conference proved challenging for many enthusiastic supporters.
  • Booking Levels: Fewer attendees are traveling to COP29 this year than to the previous COP’s.
  • Logistical Challenges at COP29: Feedback highlighted uncertainties in the COP29 schedule, high accommodation costs with minimum stay of duration, deterring several parties, some of whom still didn’t have confirmed entry passes.

We greatly appreciate your commitment, enthusiasm, and trust in our project. On behalf of the entire team, we sincerely thank you for this.

Fortunately, we have learned a lot over the past few months and will share these learnings with you in the coming weeks. Although we have to conclude that we will not fly to COP29, we are confident that we will fly in the future.

We value your commitment and feedback, which will help us improve for future endeavors. We firmly believe in our mission and look forward to realizing it in the future. Thank you for your support!

We change aviation. Now.

We’re here to show that we don’t need another 30 years to clean up aviation.
Rather, we need action. And we need you to help us prove it.

Business model innovation

Prove the viability of an airline business model focusing on sustainability, demonstrating that passengers are willing to pay a premium for better flights.

Inspire and innovate

Wake up the established airline sector to the possibilities of current technology and inspire them to adopt these less polluting practices.

Commitment to continuous improvement

Flight schedules, operational practices, and technology use will continually be optimized to achieve the lowest possible climate impact.

Contribute to global dialogue

Use our demonstration flight to COP29 in Baku to spark international conversations about sustainable practices in aviation, leading by example.

Futureproofing aviation

Encourage the development and integration of future technologies, such as battery-electric and hydrogen-powered flight, aiming for zero-emission aviation in the long term.

Radical reduction of carbon emissions

Our project aims to cut the net CO2e emissions by over ~80% compared to standard flights, showcasing the feasibility of significant emission reductions using existing technology.

Promoting Sustainable Aviation Fuels (SAF)

Utilize 100% SAF/Alternative Jet Fuels wherever possible, ensuring these fuels are sustainably sourced and achieve the highest possible life-cycle CO2 savings.

Efficiency in flight operations

Adopt the latest generation aircraft with optimized seating and reduced weight to minimize fuel consumption per passenger-kilometer.

Less is more

Prioritize reducing travel kilometers by promoting alternative travel methods for non-essential flights, and only fly when absolutely necessary.

Transparency and accountability

Clarify and educate about the use of mass balance and book & claim systems for SAF, ensuring passengers understand the real impact and benefits.

Our commitment

This manifesto clarifies our unwavering commitment to revolutionizing the airline industry by dramatically decreasing its environmental footprint and proving the economic feasibility of sustainable practices in aviation.

How?

We close the say-do-gap of sustainable-minded travelers by providing an offer with a significant impact reduction – provided you also do your part

> 80% emission reduction

  • Using 100% SAF / Alternative Jet Fuel allocation for the entire flight through physical uplift, mass-balance and/or Book & Claim, we reduce net CO2 emissions by more than 80%

Minimise warming contrails

  • We aim to minimise warming contrails by only flying when the sun is out, and by using as much SAF/Alternative Jet Fuel as possible

Direct flight

  • We fly non-stop to Baku, only deviating from the shortest possible flight to catch a helpful tailwind!

Sustainability on board

  • There are no first or business-class seats on board, as we try to transport as many people as possible with this single flight.
    We minimize the impact of the catering on board.

And more…

  • No heavy bags and suitcases – the lower the weight on board, the lower the pollution

Want to learn more and see the proof?

Find our fact sheet here.

The new way of flying