Can An Airline Go Green? Dubai's Emirates Makes the Effort

Every environmentally conscious traveler knows boarding a plane (or a cruise ship, for that matter)  doesn’t get you any points in the war against carbon emissions.

But Emirates, the Dubai-based airline that’s working to increase its presence in North America, flew a Boeing 777-200LR and its chairman, Sheik Ahmed bin Saeed Al-Maktoum, to San Francisco to meet the press and explain the steps Emirates is making to become a green airline.  And while it’ll be a while before aircraft become real friends of the environment, Emirates has made some baby steps, according to my colleague, Ana Scofield, who attended the press conference.

Here’s what Emirates, which has one of the youngest fleets flying these days, has accomplished:

--The airline negotiated agreements with Russia, Iceland and Canada to chart an efficient polar route between North America and the Middle East that minimizes flying time.

--When parked in Dubai, Emirates aircrafts are hooked up to electric power to conserve fuel, a fairly standard procedure these days among airlines.

--Dubai air traffic controllers will give priority to large jets landing to minimize fuel-wasting holding patterns.  And San Francisco International Airport promises to grant Emirates a continuous descent when landing for the same reason, though the airport’s notorious fog delays may have something to say about that. 

--Before takeoff, the Emirates Boeing 777 will be “washed” with a silicone-type liquid to reduce drag. 

--On board, Emirates instituted a re-cycling program for cabin waste, something so basic it’s surprising that every airline doesn’t ask its cabin crew—and every airport its ground crews--to segregate metals, glass, and paper for later recycling. 

The San Francisco press conference was a rather subdued affair, perhaps because that morning the San Francisco Examiner posted a story on line about the airline’s hiring practices, which the Wall Street Journal had earlier reported included a restriction against hiring gays; the airline denies it has any such rule.  Outwardly all was well, however, with Al-Maktoum gifting San Francisco with an antique silver scabbard.   And the airline’s Americas chief, Nigel Page, told reporters that 92% of seats on a recent Los Angeles-Dubai flight were sold.  Along with San Francisco and Los Angeles, Emirates also serves the New York City and Houston markets.