Sustainability In The Air
Aviation has many paths to net zero, and few are straightforward. Sustainability in the Air cuts through the noise with clear, expert-led conversations on what’s actually advancing a more sustainable future for flight in one of the hardest sectors to decarbonise.
💚 Twice a month, SimpliFlying CEO Shashank Nigam speaks with airline, airport, travel, and energy leaders to unpack the decisions shaping aviation’s climate future.
💚 Each month, our Head of Sustainability Dirk Singer adds a Signal episode spotlighting the tech founders building aviation’s next wave of climate innovation.
Whether you work in aviation, advise it, or simply care about the future of travel, this podcast is for you.
For enquiries: podcast@simpliflying.com
For more content on sustainable aviation, visit simpliflying.com and join the movement. It’s about time.
Sustainability In The Air
Why Abra Group believes Latin America must build its own path to net zero aviation
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In this episode, we speak with Maria del Mar Whittaker, Chief Corporate Responsibility Officer at Abra Group, the holding company behind airlines like Avianca and Gol.
Whittaker discusses:
- Aviation as an essential service: Why flying in Latin America is an essential service because the geography of the continent makes road and rail alternatives impractical for several routes.
- Balancing growth and sustainability: How Avianca grew by nearly 20% between 2019 and 2024 while cutting its emissions intensity by a similar margin.
- A cross-border compliance book-and-claim mechanism: How Abra Group has developed a novel proposal under which SAF produced in Brazil can be physically used domestically, while Japanese entities can purchase the corresponding SAF certificates, effectively subsidising the green premium for Brazilian airlines and creating bankable demand that can unlock project financing.
- Revenue certainty mechanisms and double-auction systems: How Abra Group is proposing a multilateral-funded revenue certainty mechanism for Brazil, modelled loosely on the UK’s approach.
- A systems-level view of SAF sustainability: Why Whittaker insists that SAF feedstock decisions must account for water, biodiversity, and indirect land use impacts at a systemic level.
If you LOVED this episode, you’ll also love the conversation we had with Lahiru Ranasinghe, Director of Sustainability at easyJet, who shares what it takes to move a major low-cost carrier from a sustainability blueprint to real-world results. Check it out here.
Learn more about the innovators who are navigating the industry's challenges to make sustainable aviation a reality, in our new book ‘Sustainability in the Air: Volume 2’. Click here to learn more.
Feel free to reach out via email to podcast@simpliflying.com. For more content on sustainable aviation, visit our website green.simpliflying.com and join the movement. It's about time.
Links & More:
Avianca’s growing connectivity while improving overall emission performance
