Over 12 months after we first caught with up with Katie Jones, Sustainability Manager at Jet2.com and Jet2holidays, in JetAway, we wanted to check back in. Picking up where we left off, we asked Katie about what has been achieved over the last year...

What achievements are you most proud of?

The last year has been a whirlwind! I’d say one of the biggest achievements is our order of up to 146 Airbus neo aircraft, a more efficient plane. We celebrated receiving our first A321neo back in May 2023, which has been operating daily out of Manchester ever since. These new aircraft use up to 20% less fuel to take our customers on their holidays, resulting in fewer carbon emissions per passenger.

I’m also proud of our investment in a new UK Sustainable Aviation Fuel (SAF) plant which will be constructed in the north-west of England. When operational, the new plant will turn non-recyclable waste into jet fuel, meaning Jet2.com flights could soon be powered by waste! SAF also emits around 70% less carbon over its lifetime than standard jet fuel, so will support our carbon reduction goals too.

It’s also great to have been recognised for our hard work. As a result of aircraft efficiency measures we’ve taken to date, such as reducing onboard weight and upgrading our aircraft with winglets, we’re now ranked the 4th most carbon efficient airline globally!*

What’s the ‘Jet2 Journey to Net Zero’ strategy all about?

This strategy outlines the actions we will take to achieve net zero carbon emissions by 2050, but we’re aspiring to bring this target forward. Our objectives include using more SAF to power our planes, increasing our aircraft efficiency further through technology and more efficient routing, building upgrades to reduce our energy use, and increasing the number of hotels in our Certified Sustainable Hotel collection.

We hear you’re going electric with the ground operation fleet. Tell us more...

That’s right! Since 2021, we’ve been replacing the equipment we use to prepare our aircraft for boarding with fully electric alternatives, including all electric baggage tractors, staircases and minibuses. You can spot our electric fleet by looking for our Journey to Net Zero logo painted on them! Over 50% of our ground service equipment is now electric – as we continue to replace older equipment this figure will keep increasing, helping us further reduce our carbon emissions.

What steps are in place to reduce the use of single-use plastics?

We’ve made great progress with reducing our onboard single-use plastics. Customers tucking into our inflight meals will find all cutlery is made from wood and provided in paper packaging. Our plastic tumbler served with your cold drinks is also made from recycled plastics. By replacing materials, we have switched 22 million single-use plastics to more sustainable alternatives!

How’s the Certified Sustainable Hotel programme going?

We’re seeing huge interest in more sustainable travel choices. Our new Certified Sustainable Hotel programme gives our customers even more choice when selecting their holiday as they can choose their hotel based on their sustainability performance. Over 800 hotels have been added to the collection already, and this number is increasing by the day! We hope to continue growing this collection so sustainable accommodation choices become the norm.

Where can our readers find out more out your sustainability strategy?

Info on our Journey to Net Zero strategy can be found on the Jet2.com and Jet2holidays websites on our sustainability pages. You can learn more about our sustainability achievements and objectives – keep checking for updates on how we’re doing.

*Jet2.com is ranked 4th out of 100 airlines for airline efficiency in the Global Airline Sustainability Benchmarking and Rating Report, published by CAPA (Centre for Aviation) and Envest Global.