The General Civil Aviation Authority (GCAA), Etihad Airways and Thales signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) to collaborate on climate impact reduction in the Emirates Flight Information Region (FIR), a report said.

Under the MoU, Thales, the French multinational company that designs, develops and manufactures electrical systems as well as devices and equipment for the aerospace, defence and transportation, will test the solutions developed as part of its ‘Thales Orchestrator for Eco-Friendly Trajectories’ offer, enabling users to implement optimised trajectories in a simple, fast and efficient way, said Emirates News Agency, WAM.

Saif Mohammed Al Suwaidi, Director-General of the GCAA, said: "This initiative aligns with the UAE's ongoing dedication to sustainability, and the theme of 2024 being the Year of Sustainability.

“It underscores the GCAA’s pledge to national priorities and the government's methodology, while also fulfilling our international commitments within the International Civil Aviation Organisation (ICAO), particularly the recent announcement in Dubai of the Global Framework for aviation fuel, which sets an ambitious goal of reducing global aviation emissions by 5 percent by 2030.”

Mohammad Al Bulooki, Chief Operating Officer at Etihad Airways, said: “Etihad is honoured to be part of this groundbreaking initiative aligning seamlessly with the UAE's commitment to this venture which epitomises the essence of the Year of Sustainability in 2024.

“Working alongside the GCAA and Thales, this showcases a collective commitment to mitigating the climate impact of aviation, aligning perfectly with the UAE's visionary 2031 agenda. Etihad takes immense pride in contributing to this initiative, leveraging innovative avionics and advanced flight operations to propel the aviation industry towards a more sustainable future.”

Abdelhafid Mordi, CEO of Thales in the UAE, said: “We are very proud to collaborate with Etihad Airways and GCAA in their ambition to mitigate the climate impact of aviation and to contribute to the UAE 2031 vision.

“Our innovations in terms of avionics and flight operations are very much driven by our desire to make aviation ever more sustainable, reducing the climate impact of civil air transport.”

The air transport sector is fully aware of its impact on the environment and is committed to reducing its carbon emissions to zero by 2050 and environmental sustainability is an absolute priority, a statement said.

To meet this global challenge, one of the most effective ways of achieving results is to optimise flight operations to enable airspace users to choose the most efficient flight plans by following more direct routes, adjusting their flight profiles in real time; using digital tools to enable better collaboration between airspace users and Air Navigation Service Providers (ANSPs).