Global airline trade group IATA has revised its carbon emissions target, approving on 4 October at its annual general meeting in Boston a resolution for the air transport industry to achieve net-zero carbon emissions by 2050. IATA had previously adopted the International Civil Aviation Organization's (ICAO) Carbon Offsetting and Reduction Scheme for International Aviation (CORSIA), which aimed to reduce by 2050 global aviation's net carbon emissions by 50% from 2005 levels. ICAO's carbon offset concept remains central to IATA's net-zero emissions "pathway", although it is offered as just one tactic among several that member airlines can use to reach the 2050 net-zero carbon emissions deadline. IATA expects developing technologies – including sustainable aviation fuel (SAF), new aircraft programes, operations and infrastructure software, electric and hydrogen power and carbon capture ­– will advance sufficiently in the coming years to enable carriers that might be presently struggling amid the coronavirus pandemic to affordably meet the 2050 deadline. All member airlines must find a way to meet the net-zero emissions deadline, even though the internal vote was apparently not unanimous. Chinese carriers, in particular, had pushed for a 2060 deadline. "We're a democratic organisation," IATA's director general Willie Walsh said during a media briefing on 4 October. "It's always nice when everybody agrees. But we're very clear that the resolution has been passed by the majority of carriers represented by IATA. And that becomes the position of IATA." Member airlines had debated the timeline "at significant length", Walsh adds. "There was a good discussion within the board of governors as to whether we could facilitate the timeline proposed by the Chinese carriers of 2060. But the general view, particularly from those carriers in Europe, was that already we're seeing pressure to accelerate the achievement of net zero before 2050. And that moving it to 2060 would not be position that they could accept." Walsh expects pressure from consumers on global commercial aviation to decarbonise will only intensify with each passing year. "Consumers recognise our commitment, but what they don't understand necessarily is how we're going to get to decarbonisation. But given the general consumer attitude towards the critical issue of climate change, airlines that don't engage to reduce their carbon footprint I think will be measured by consumers." Walsh notes that some airlines have already disclosed shorter timeframes for achieving net-zero emissions, along with a variety of technology investment schemes. "On our boards we have both United Airlines and FedEx, who are investing heavily in carbon capture and sequestration. We have other airlines who are investing significantly in sustainable aviation fuels." IATA members are impatient for aircraft manufacturers to recognise and react appropriately to evolving consumer perceptions and expectations, which have been reshaped by the pandemic and by recent climate-related disasters. "I've listened very carefully to what Airbus has said about hydrogen-powered aircraft," Walsh says. "They seem ever more confident that they will have a hydrogen-powered aircraft in 2035. Boeing takes a different view… they see that as being more complex and more difficult. We're not going to argue with the manufacturers. What we are saying, though, is that what they're doing today isn't enough. It's not good enough that we get incremental change in efficiency with the aircraft. To get to net zero we're going to need a fundamental change."

Air France on 1 October operated a flight from Nice to Paris Orly airport using 30% sustainable aviation fuel (SAF). The SAF was produced by TotalEnergies from used cooking oils at its biorefinery in La Mede and its plant in Oudalle, the flag carrier says. The incorporation of 30% SAF helped the airline avoid an emission of three tonnes of CO2 during the flight, it notes.

Air New Zealand will mandate Covid-19 vaccination for international travel, starting 1 February. All passengers 18 years and older arriving or departing New Zealand on Air New Zealand's international flights must be fully vaccinated, the flag carrier says in a 3 October statement. Passengers who are not vaccinated will be required to present proof that vaccination was not a viable option for them for medical reasons, it adds. Chief executive Greg Foran states: "We're getting ready to reconnect with the world and letting customers know what they need to do to be ready to take off when we can. "Being vaccinated against Covid-19 is the new reality of international travel… The quicker we get vaccinated, the sooner we can fly Kiwis to places like New York, Vancouver and Narita. "We've been hearing from both customers and employees that this measure is important to them... Mandating vaccination on our international flights will give both customers and employees the peace of mind that everyone onboard meets the same health requirements as they do." The airline says these requirements will sit alongside the measures it already has to keep New Zealand safe. Foran adds: "To take some of the friction out of the travel experience and to help our customers know exactly what they need to travel before even getting to the airport, we're continuing to work on rolling out the IATA Travel Pass app."