Further research should focus on effectiveness of each of the measures
adopted by airline, and how the combination of carbon reduction measures vary environmental performance. This research was explorational and gave an indication of a set of potential issues that still need to be investigated. A topic of environment, sustainability and strategy is cross-section and require further investigation from several perspectives including environmental, business, social and financial. This research has also attempted to link high-intensity energy sectors, sustainable competitive advantage, and sustainability strategy.
Further research is essential as these industries still struggle to achieve an understanding of solutions in the world increasingly driven by environmental criticism.
The limitation of this research mainly lies in limited availability of information, case study companies, and longitudinal impacts. At first, airlines are not as transparent in their sustainability strategies. Some information, particularly on offsetting projects was difficult to find, while some of information is not
disclosed. Secondly, case study companies that very chosen are relative leaders in sustainability in aviation. It would be beneficial for future research to attempt to compare industry leaders in sustainability and an airline that still avoids any environmental commitments. Finally, longitudinal impacts of this
research include lack of resources such, as well as time frame including time when most of airlines where partially shutdown because of pandemic. Financial problems caused many airlines to halt their environmental concerns as more immediate problems such as low profit margins, lack of finance and low demand threatened viability of operations.
General recommendations for airlines are as following:
- A well-developed airline strategy will focus on building partnerships and implementing emission-free technology as well as SAF in the long-term, while in short-term developing offsetting schemes that will have the least possible greenwashing critics
- Another part of organization strategy should be the intention to
implement sustainability as a part of organizational culture, as it will help achieving sustainable competitive advantage and cut costs that will result due to environment
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Appendix 1
Fleet efficiency supplementary calculations
Using Figure 1 data calculate average fuel consumption relative to share of aircraft by using formula percentage of aircraft of all fleet × corresponding fuel consumption.
The following results are for each of the case study companies:
EasyJet Finnair SAS
Average fuel consumption in litres per seat per km
0,02867 0,02917 0,02951
By comparing the results, it is possible to see that easyJet has the most efficient fleet of three case companies. SAS fleet is losing to Finnair fleet due to older airplanes that do not belong to Airbus family. 20% of them are regional aircrafts comprised of CRJ900 and E195RL, which SAS plans to retire as its strategy focuses on replacing variety of aircraft with single type airbuses.
One limitation of the analysis is that the share of use of aircrafts is not known. For example, if EasyJet strives to use its most efficient aircrafts the most and least efficient aircrafts the least, then average flight of EasyJet would be more efficient. Similarly, if SAS will fly its least efficient aircraft CRJ900 only occasionally, then it’s performance would be represented in a more positive way. This calculation is performed with the assumption that all aircrafts are equally used, which might give different results. In addition, aircrafts number of seats vary which is also not noted in this calculation.
To identify the significance of the fuel consumption in liters per seat per km, the research attempts to compare on average the price of offsetting the difference.
On an flight of 4,000 km fuel consumption per seat will be as following:
EasyJet Finnair SAS
Average fuel consumption in litres per seat per km
0,02867 0,02917 0,02951
Average fuel
consumption in 114,66 116,68 118,04