The Bogota-based freight carrier has won the prestigious ESG Award at a ceremony held in the UAE on 29FEB24. Honored was its continuous and long-standing commitment to sustainability and emission reduction. This includes the opearation of its Airbus A330 freighter fleet, the aircraft with the lowest environmental impact in the Latin American hemisphere.
”At Avianca Cargo, sustainability is NOW. That is why we have consolidated a solid sustainability strategy that includes social, environmental, and corporate governance aspects, and today we are proud to receive the ESG Award,” exclaimed Diogo Elias, Avianca Cargo Senior Vice President.
For about ten years, the freight carrier in close coordination with the passenger and ground service units has been implementing fuel saving policies focused on reducing CO2 wherever and whenever possible. In 2023, In combined efforts they managed to offset 75% of greenhouse gases emitted on flights within its domestic Colombian market by the airline’s fleet. In partnership with Ecoventura, Avianca Cargo transported free of charge about 12,000 kg of waste, mainly cardboard, paper, glass, and plastic. The trash was captured on and around the Galapagos Islands and flown to Guayaquil. There, they were recycled, transformed into new products or objects. This kicked off a circular economy leading to some remarkable results. Further, Avianca Cargo has adapted its warehouses and infrastructure with new refrigeration technologies to reduce emissions.
From a social perspective, Avianca Cargo signed an alliance with the Fundación Best Buddies Colombia to support the labor inclusion of people with intellectual disabilities, and the first cargo agent joins the team as part of the Amigos del Alma program. On the other hand, the company reaffirmed its alliance with Airlink, which has allowed it to mobilize hundreds of kilograms of humanitarian cargo to different countries such as Ecuador and the Dominican Republic, benefiting about 6,000 people.
In 2023, the cargo carrier launched an internal sustainability contest called CargoLab Sostenible for its employees to compete by presenting innovative ideas to a panel of judges that contribute to reduce harmful environmental impacts. Four of these ideas were already prioritized for implementation by 2024.
