I’m excited to be joining the Aviation Sustainability Forum as its Inaugural President, having worked across the industry as both a buyer and supplier of Inflight Products and Services. I have always had a passion for the benefits of partnership and collaboration to solve industry wide problems.
I believe now is finally the time to make real progress on Inflight product lifecycles. Even during COVID times, sustainability across the aviation sector has become a huge topic and one that is common to all. Whilst a lot of work is being undertaken on Sustainable Aviation Fuels (SAF), Carbon Offsetting and Aircraft Technology it’s important that we don’t lose sight of the importance of inflight waste. The products we use onboard aircraft and in our supply chains must look different in a post-COVID world as must the way we manage them through their lifecycle.
The ASF works as an independent collaborative forum. It’s important to reflect that we do not represent one group in the Inflight product and services supply chain but bring all groups together suppliers-caterers-airlines-airports-associations and governing bodies – to share knowledge, best practice, ideas and problems with the aim of developing standard solutions that can be adopted by the entire commercial aviation sector.
By working together in this way and seeking to standardise the materials we use onboard, we can then present the case required for legislative change that allows recovery, recycling and circularity to be adopted internationally thereby improving aviation’s environmental record for all.
The real benefit of participating in the work of the ASF is that we will not work in silos or represent one part of the supply chain. Instead, we represent and focus on the entire supply chain and do so globally. This includes working closely with other associations to avoid duplication of efforts and to strengthen our combined impact. Most importantly our stated aim is to benefit the entire aviation sector by openly sharing our work so that the entire aviation community has the potential to benefit.
The ASF is here to facilitate the activity and drive the change, but it is the Membership which shapes the ASF programme and sets the agenda – that’s why it’s important for us to encourage as many stakeholders as possible to join us and financially support us – we are much stronger and much more effective if we work together as one!
Success for the ASF will come by demonstrating our value on a project-by-project basis to our members and the entire aviation sector such that we are able to fund and continue our work and by ensuring the inflight product and service supply chain is optimised for upstream and downstream sustainability and minimal environmental impact.
We are excited to be at WTCE on stand 1G64. Please pop by so we can share our story and further explain the benefits of joining the ASF and being part of the solution.
I hope all have a great show and we rebuild so many of those great connections our industry is known for.
