Saudia flies a weekend on 100% unavoidable scope 1 carbon emissions offset

The event took place around London’s Royal Docks and ExCeL exhibition centre, July 30-31.

As part of the airline’s sustainability initiatives and in support of its partnership with the Formula E all-electric racing series, SAUDIA operated a full weekend schedule of flights which had 100% of unavoidable scope 1 carbon emissions offset from Riyadh and Jeddah to London Heathrow.

Saudia offset the unavoidable scope 1 carbon emissions for the flights, including radiative forcing impacts by a factor of 1.9. 

With a flight time of 6 hours 55 minutes between Riyadh and LHR and 6 hours 15 minutes between Jeddah and LHR, the routes are among the longest carbon-neutral flights worldwide. 

Saudia chose to work with New Zealand based enviro-tech company CarbonClick, who have also facilitated the airline’s world's longest net-positive flight as part of the SkyTeam Sustainable Flight Challenge.

The flights were offset via a Gold Standard approved and CORSIA certified wind power carbon offsetting scheme in India. The project will replace carbon intensive coal powered electricity with clean, renewable wind power.

The contribution by SAUDIA to this project will contribute to supplying clean energy to the grid and providing sustainable electricity to regional communities. The wind power project also delivers economic and social benefits to these communities through job creation and improving public health.

News of the sustainability initiative in support of the Formula E race weekend was shared onboard with all guests during the flights.