Aviation history was made earlier this week, with the first transatlantic flight powered by 100% Sustainable Aviation Fuel. The flight is a milestone in aviation’s progress towards developing a more sustainable way to fly.

But there is a huge amount of work between a test flight and this becoming the norm. To make that a reality we need support from Government to develop a domestic industry in sustainable aviation fuels.

Without this the UK would have to rely on imports, missing out on the jobs and economic value a domestic industry would bring.

This week also sees the start of COP28 – the annual gathering of world leaders confronting climate change. 

Reducing the reliance on fossil fuels isn’t the only action needed to address climate change - it is also important to tackle biodiversity loss, and the travel industry has a real opportunity to make a positive contribution. A strong and biodiverse environment is important for dealing with carbon in the atmosphere. 

ABTA has been involved in an initial consultation process with the Nature Positive Tourism Partnership, a consortium of industry stakeholders who help to define industry actions and contribute to a UN report and framework on nature and biodiversity. ABTA member case studies have been included as part of this work, and a report and toolkit will be released next month which will show how to adopt nature positive principles in tourism. We’ll make members aware of that when it is available. 

It’s also worth remembering that we have a range of resources for members to help you understand what climate change means for your business and take action, including the Climate Action Guidebook, which we produced in collaboration with Deloitte. 

I've been finalising this week's blog while travelling back from Jet2's VIP Conference in Antalya, Türkiye.  It was a pleasure to engage with 350 agents and understand where ABTA can continue to help our members build successful and sustainable businesses.

Mark Tanzer, Chief Exevcutive