How would you describe the air-travel efforts to curb carbon emissions, industry-wide?
Global aviation, which accounts for about 2.5% of global greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions, is considered a “hard-to-abate” sector because of the cost and lifespan of aircraft and our stringent safety requirements. However, the U.S. airline industry, including Hawaiian Airlines, has voluntarily committed to achieving net-zero carbon emissions by 2050, and replacing 10% of petroleum based jet-fuel with sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) by 2030.
These are very ambitious goals. The technologies needed to achieve these goals either do not yet exist or are not yet available at scale. Airlines are making strategic investments in new technologies and committing to long-term off-take agreements to help SAF producers secure financing to build new facilities. But it will take collaboration across airlines, technology developers, SAF producers, and support by states and the federal government to decarbonize aviation.
How is Hawaiian Airlines progressing toward the goal of reaching net-zero emissions by 2050?
We recently announced a decarbonization roadmap detailing how our initiatives and investments will get us to net-zero emissions by 2050. We are excited about a number of projects, including our partnership with Par Hawaii to explore the commercial viability of locally produced SAF, our agreement with biofuel company Gevo to purchase 50 million gallons of SAF in California over five years, starting in 2029, and our strategic investment in REGENT, a company developing a battery-electric powered seaglider.
We also continue to invest heavily in fleet renewal: Our transpacific aircraft are already among the most modern in the U.S. industry, and early next year we will begin introducing the Boeing 787-9, which is significantly more fuel-efficient than previous generation aircraft. We are also committed to sharing our progress in our annual Corporate Kuleana Report.
Are there any particular challenges for Hawaiian Air because of its mixed interisland and intercontinental routes?
About 90% of our carbon footprint comes from jet-fuel consumption on our long-haul flights between Hawaii and U.S. mainland and international destinations, with only about 10% of emissions attributed to our neighbor island service. So, we really need to address emissions from long-haul flying, and according to industry forecasts, sustainable aviation fuel is the most viable solution.
In the timeframe of our 2050 goal, there are unlikely to be viable battery- or hydrogen-powered airplanes that will be able to fly between Hawaii and transpacific destinations. Some of these technologies may be available for shorter flying like our neighbor island routes, but there is work to be done to make sure that those can be used safely and reliably.
What fuel technologies or other solutions seem most promising now?
Sustainable aviation fuel is expected to be the biggest opportunity for our industry. SAF is jet fuel made from sustainable feedstock with a lifecycle carbon intensity that is up to 80% lower than conventional, petroleum-based jet fuel. These feedstocks can include vegetable oils or alcohol, or even things like agricultural waste or trash.
The great thing about SAF is that it is a proven “drop-in fuel,” meaning that no changes to existing engines or infrastructure are required when it is blended with conventional jet fuel up to 50%.
The challenges with SAF are supply and economics — very small amounts of SAF are being produced and at a cost that is two to five times that of conventional jet fuel. Significant investment and cross-sector collaboration are required to scale SAF to meet demand.
Over the long term, the expectation is that SAF will be commercially competitive with conventional jet fuel at scale, but government incentives are needed in the short term to drive adoption. We could even make some SAF here in Hawaii with locally grown feedstock, something that would help our economy and energy independence in addition to reducing carbon emissions.
Your mission includes sustainability initiatives other than cutting emissions. What are they?
As Hawaii’s hometown airline, we feel a strong responsibility to reduce our environmental impact across our business. Last year, we set several measurable goals to make our onboard product more sustainable, starting with a commitment to phase out single-use plastics from our in-flight service by 2029. While we have a long way to go to achieve our goals, as of December 2022, we have reduced the amount of single-use plastics per transpacific flight by 7% compared to 2021.
We are also buying more locally sourced food and beverage products for flights departing from our Hawaii hubs. This not only supports Hawaii businesses and agriculture but also reduces emissions associated with the shipping of products. Today, we spend 32% of our Hawaii catering budget on local items, and our goal is to reach 40% by 2025.
Lastly, we are also concerned about humane sourcing and are committed to 100% cage-free eggs for our onboard catering on all flights departing from Hawaii by 2025, and on all domestic flights by 2027. As of December 2022, we reached both goals and have transitioned to 100% cage-free eggs on all domestic flights.
THE BIO FILE
>> Title: Managing director, sustainability initiatives at Hawaiian Airlines
>> Experience: 17 years in the airline industry (including 12 years at Hawaiian), across various roles in strategy, finance, regional turboprop operations, and investor relations — “but now my passion is airline sustainability.”
>> Education: Bachelor of arts in economics, Dartmouth College; master of business administration, IESE Business School, Barcelona, Spain.
>> Personal background: Grew up in Cleveland, Ohio; lived in Honolulu the past 12 years. In spare time, enjoys spending time at the beach with family, swimming in the ocean, sports and dance.
