The Mirpuri Foundation was invited to teach a class at Universidade Lusófona, sharing its experience on how to make the aviation industry more sustainable.
The online lecture for the 70 Aeronautical Management students was given by Ana Agostinho, Mirpuri Foundation’s representative, who explained the Foundation’s initiatives concerning aviation and the sustainability work that is being done for quite some time in partnership with Hi Fly, a leading wet lease specialist airline.
After providing the students with factual data about global aviation’s impact, Ana Agostinho disclosed how Hi Fly became the first airline in the world to operate flights without any single-use plastic. Knowing that each commercial long haul passenger flight uses up to 350kg of single-use plastic, Hi Fly was a pioneer in inspiring other airlines to fight against unnecessary plastic waste that is highly harmful to the planet.
Another initiative that was highlighted during the presentation was the Sustainable Cabin Forum, which took place in 2019 and was organized by Hi Fly and the Mirpuri Foundation in partnership with IATA and under patronage of European Commissioner for Environment, Oceans and Fisheries.
This event, Ana said, provided a platform for airline and airport operators to share knowledge and best practices in a bid to tackle the challenges of single-use plastic and catering waste in aviation.
Before closing remarks, Ana Agostinho explained the most recent Hi Fly’s effort in becoming the first airline to offset all its carbon dioxide emissions by 2022. Other practices have already been adopted to reduce emissions, such as the use of more efficient aircraft.
Wrapping up the presentation, Ana spoke about other airline sustainability initiatives, also mentioning what the industry says about Hi Fly’s work towards becoming one of the most sustainable players of the sector.
After the presentation, the students had the opportunity to raise questions and link their academic knowledge to the practical field. How the pandemic has affected the aviation sector and which green aviation jobs will gain more relevance in the future were two of the topics discussed.
The presentation made it clear for the students that the aviation industry can make a positive difference in the world, not only by implementing technologies and measures that help to decrease the environmental impact of its operations, but also by standing up and raising awareness of the critical issues that are affecting our planet.
