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Europe’s fastest growing jet charter company, Victor, is committing to change the private aviation industry through a series of environmental commitments aimed at reducing and mitigating the greenhouse gas emissions of private jets.

A private jet emits up to 20 times more CO2 per passenger mile than a commercial airliner - a shocking statistic rarely admitted within the industry which displays the true extent of the emissions challenge.

Victor’s new climate action strategy aims to create an immediate call to action and establish a sustainability benchmark for the 26.1bn USD jet charter industry in support of the UK Government’s recent commitment as the first G7 country to a NetZero target by 2050.

In 2018, Victor successfully rolled-out an optional Carbon Reduction Programme that saw the carbon emissions of 25% of its European flights offset working in partnership with Air BP and BP Target Neutral. Now, Victor commits to double offset the emissions of every flight booked as part of a three-pronged climate action plan in a bid to become Europe’s most environmentally responsible private jet charter company.

Victor’s three-pronged strategy:

1. Double Carbon Offsetting

From 1st July 2019, Victor guarantees to double offset the CO2 emissions of every flight, saving approximately 46,000 tonnes of CO2 over the next 12 months. Over the next five years this is projected to save approximately 403,499 tonnes of CO2 which is equivalent to the personal annual CO2 emissions of 81,000 people in the UK (based on average emissions of 5 tonne per person per annum). Victor is supporting internationally audited and accredited carbon reduction projects managed by BP Target Neutral, Vertis and South Pole. These are largely nature-based schemes such as forest restoration in Brazil and Zambia which have additional socio-economic benefits to the communities where they are based. For environmentally conscious flyers and those who recognise their personal and company reputation may be on the line, Victor is encouraging them to contribute out of their own pocket to go beyond the standard 200% offset through Victor’s Unlimited Programme.

In June 2019, Victor achieved accreditation for double offsetting the carbon footprint of its London Headquarters, New York and Santa Barbara offices.

2. Reducing Fuel Burn

Offsetting alone is not enough and, in a bid to reduce consumption through smart technology, Victor is working with award-winning provider of flight planning, RocketRoute, to leverage their flight routing algorithms in order to calculate emissions, optimise flight routes and reduce fuel burn. After every flight, RocketRoute records the actual flight plan filed by every operator, providing Victor with a highly accurate view of actual fuel consumption for carbon credit calculations. Victor also compares this data with an optimal flight plan that is simulated by RocketRoute just prior to take-off. The difference between the RocketRoute simulated data and the actual flight plan data is investigated on a plan-by-plan basis to pinpoint route inefficiencies and potential fuel burn reduction. A recent 2019 concept study conducted for departures from Gatwick Airport of both commercial and private aircraft movements found that, for routes which could be optimised, RocketRoute identified an average of 5% fuel burn reduction, with some operators seeing even greater fuel savings.

3. Adoption of Sustainable Alternative Fuels

Victor is working in partnership with Neste, the world’s largest producer of sustainable renewable fuels on a long-term mission to promote awareness and ultimately drive the adoption of waste-to-fuel solutions within the private aviation industry. Victor is also partnering with European Business Aviation Association on the same mission.

Clive Jackson, CEO and Founder of Victor comments, “As a business leader, I have the opportunity to take a bold and perhaps unpopular step in highlighting a very uncomfortable truth within our industry. We must act now and encourage others to follow our lead rather than passively waiting for governments and legislation. The problem is only going to get worse, so the sooner we all start to prioritise the reduction and mitigation of greenhouse gas emissions, the better chance we have at preventing a 1.5 degree increase in the Earth’s average temperature.”

For more information on Victor’s climate action strategy, visit www.flyvictor.com

BlueSky Business Aviation News | 4th July 2019 | Issue #517

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