Holiday airline gets sustainable innovation award

Trophée de l’Innovation from L’Écho touristique for breaking planes ecologically with 87% recovery

Air Transat is the proud winner of the Trophée de l’Innovation (Innovation Award) from French magazine L’Écho touristique in the "Sustainable Tourism" category for its eco-friendly dismantling of end-of-life-cycle aircraft. This project, conducted in July 2013, saw two Airbus A310s dismantled in an environmentally responsible and sustainable manner, with 87% of their components recovered.

Air Transat is Canada’s leading holiday travel airline and a business unit of Transat A.T. Inc., an integrated international tour operator with more than 60 destination countries and that distributes products in over 50 countries.

"We are very proud of this award, which again ranks Air Transat as a leader in sustainable development," says Jean-François Lemay, General Manager of Air Transat. "For the last seven years, we have intensified our environmental management efforts through innovation, and the results show it. Even more important, our actions fall within the broader framework of a true sustainable-development strategy throughout the Transat group, guiding us toward the common goal of becoming a model of responsibility in the travel sector worldwide."

The Trophée de l’Innovation, presented since 2012, rewards initiatives among all travel professionals who innovate and advance their trade through their projects, actions and commitments. Judged on project fulfilment, user value and satisfaction, creativity and exemplary character, the dismantling program implemented by Air Transat and its partners came out in front thanks to votes from Internet users and from a panel of eight experts.

The dismantling of the two Air Transat aircraft was conducted in collaboration with Aerocycle, a company that specializes in the eco-friendly dismantling and recycling of aircraft in compliance with the international standard set by the Aircraft Fleet Recycling Association (AFRA) and using an environmental-management system established by Aéroports de Montréal (ADM, the Montreal airports authority), with co-ordination provided by sustainable-development consulting firm Eko-Conseil.

"Corporate responsibility is a core Transat priority," Philippe Bechon, General Manager of Transat France, said at the June 26 awards ceremony in Paris. "All our employees worldwide are committed to this approach. The company has also been able to bring in strong partners, and the recognition from L’Écho touristique shows the importance we attach to the major principles of sustainable tourism."

On June 5, Air Transat also received the Grand Prix de l’Entreprise citoyenne de l’année (grand prize for the corporate citizen of the year), again for its project for the eco-friendly dismantling of end-of-life-cycle aircraft. The award was presented by Novae magazine, specializing in information and promotion regarding responsible business practices in Québec.

Valere Tjolle

@ValereTjolle [email protected]