San Diego GreenLife

Photo credit Continental Airlines

by Erick Petterson

Three of the top airlines in the United States allow passengers to travel greener—and also offer some of the lowest fares. For flights to and from San Diego, you can choose between Continental, JetBlue, and Southwest Airlines—all of whom take measures to reduce their companies’ carbon footprints, and give passengers ways to minimize the impact of their travel as well..

Each of these airlines attempts to minimize its footprint in some shared ways—by providing paperless e-tickets or using winglets on their planes — but each takes innovative measures, too.

Continental Airlines
In 2007, Fortune Magazine named Continental Airlines one of the Ten Green Giants, due to the $16 million they spent over ten years to replace their fleet with more fuel-efficient aircraft.

One of their major advancements was placing extensions on wings, (called “winglets”), that increase the aerodynamic efficiency of the aircraft and reduce carbon emissions by up to 5 percent.

Boeing installed winglets on 2,300 jets, which has so far saved one billion gallons of fuel—and they project that by 2014 the innovation could save 5 billion gallons.

Among Continental Airlines’ other environmental measures is the employment of 13 full-time environmentalists who work with engine manufacturers to recycle bio-fuels and design more environmentally-friendly airline terminals.

In a test flight, on January 7, 2009, Continental made the first flight in North America using a sustainable bio-fuel which consisted of components from algae and the jatropha plant. The fuel does not impact food crops, water resources, or cause deforestation.

Furthermore, Eco-Skies™, a program intended to reduce Continental’s carbon footprint, gives passengers and suppliers ways to get involved and help them become a greener airline. One way is through Sustainable Travel Air, a non-profit organization that allows passengers to purchase carbon offsets, and invest them in projects that reduce greenhouse gases.

Southwest Airlines
Southwest Airlines also takes measures to set themselves apart. Southwest passengers can offset their flight’s carbon footprint through the Southwest Cares program.

They also promote good environmental stewardship by using electric power rather than gas at their gates. It saved one million gallons of fuel in 2007.

According to Marilee McInnis, a spokesperson for Southwest Airlines, the company employs an environmental services team of six people. These employees work within Southwest’s operating departments, and collaborate on various measures to make the company more environmentally conscious.

Furthermore, Southwest Airlines’ maintenance and ground-operations employees go through training for hazardous-waste management, storm water/pollution prevention, solid-waste management, and disinfection and protection of potable water sources.

While Southwest Airlines strives to become more environmentally friendly, they keep costs down by putting some of their efforts in the hands of employee volunteers called the Green Team. This group acts as eco-representatives in each of the airline’s business units.

In addition to identifying ways the company can improve their environmental efforts, the Green Team sponsors and volunteers at events such as the 2007 Trinity River clean up in Dallas, TX.

Southwest works with fuel producers and jet-engine manufacturers to reduce their use of petroleum-based fuels. In addition, they work with stakeholders through the Commercial Aviation Alternative Fuels Initiative (CAAFI)—a program begun by the FAA to encourage collaborative efforts between airlines, and the sharing of research on alternative fuels.

The company uses Required Navigational Performance technology that allows aircraft to fly shorter predetermined paths. Additionally, they work with the FAA—through their membership with the Air Transport Association (ATA)—to strive for the Next Generation Air Transportation System (NextGen)—an effort to make air traffic control more efficient by allowing direct flying routes.

All of these measures allow Southwest Airlines to set themselves apart as environmental stewards.

JetBlue
While Continental and Southwest Airlines lead the charge into the greener skies, JetBlue Airlines does not lag far behind. They also allow passengers to offset their carbon emissions. In addition, they eliminated disposable headsets, print smaller boarding documents, and recycle fuel.

In a recent effort to take more practical environmental measures— one which would allow passengers to get involved—JetBlue Airlines started the “One Thing That’s Green” program.

It consists of various initiatives, including giving people who travel on Earth Day “green starter kits” that consist of environmentally-friendly products. The kit is intended to educate and encourage customer efforts to create a greener earth.

Among other ways JetBlue Airlines strives to become an environmental leader is by using just one engine to taxi to and from gates, adding winglets to increase fuel efficiency, and installing lighter aircraft seats to reduce weight and drag.

While JetBlue Airlines’ efforts to create a better future may not consist of the same technological advances that Continental and Southwest Airlines are working on, they support other green initiatives by partnering with companies like Organic Valley—a dairy cooperative that produces organic milk on more than 1200 family farms.

Furthermore, according to Bryan Baldwin, a spokesperson for JetBlue Airlines, they recently partnered with Airbus to manufacture a sustainable second-generation bio-fuel.

JetBlue, Airbus, and other partners involved hope this bio-fuel—which does not compete for land or water resources—will help them develop a renewable energy source converted from vegetation and algae-based oils.

In addition, JetBlue saves paper by not offering an in-flight magazine. At their home base, John F. Kennedy International Airport, they recycle their fuel and oil, as well as their filters.

While many of JetBlue’s efforts to reduce their carbon footprint also cut costs, among their more innovative, (and pricey), steps is a state-of-the-art infrared de-icicing system that keeps down the extra weight that ice can add during flight.

For anyone considering a trip this summer, the future of air travel definitely looks greener. If your plans allow, use one of these three greener airlines for your San Diego-based travel.