IATA and Etihad to trial air cargo CO2 emissions calculator

IATA has announced it will be trialling its air cargo CO2 emissions calculation tool with Etihad Airways.

IATA will be working with Etihad Cargo to track data for cargo shipments during a three-month trial and the airline will be sharing data from its flights and advising on various use cases to achieve the highest levels of accuracy, consistency and transparency.

The air freight value chain – shippers, forwarders, investors and regulators – along with consumers are asking for reliable and trustworthy data calculations and IATA says the trial will provide a valuable proof of concept for the cargo component of the IATA CO2 Connect carbon calculator.

The association has been providing IATA CO2 Connect for passenger flights since June this year, with actual fuel burn data of 57 aircraft types representing ~98% of the active global passenger fleet. Calculating the carbon impact of cargo shipments has more challenging parameters, not least of which is the unpredictability of routing at time of booking an air cargo shipment that can often include non-air segments.

In addition, cargo can be carried on both dedicated freighter aircraft and in the bellies of passenger aircraft. To achieve equal levels of accuracy to the passenger calculator, it is essential to collect actual data on fuel burn, load factors and other key variables in trials.

Frederic Leger, IATA’s Senior Vice President for Commercial Products & Services said: “Aviation will achieve net zero carbon emissions by 2050. And our customers—travelers and shippers—need accurate information on the emissions related to their activities to manage their own commitments and reporting obligations. For all these purposes, accurate data is critical. IATA CO2 Connect already provides this for passenger operations. This trial with Etihad will help us in bringing an industry-leading carbon calculator for cargo in the coming months.”

Martin Drew, Senior Vice President Global Sales & Cargo at Etihad Aviation Group commented: “With a strong commitment to innovation, Etihad Cargo actively seeks out and facilitates the development, trials and launch of promising solutions for its customers and partners. The airline’s development with IATA demonstrates the ability and willingness to co create solutions to support

“Etihad Cargo’s journey to achieving net zero carbon emissions by 2050 and demonstrates the carrier’s agility in adopting state-of-the-art technology and digital solutions. IATA’s CO2 Connect carbon calculator will be an effective tool in making the transportation of cargo more sustainable and will benefit not only Etihad Cargo’s customers but also the wider air cargo sector in the future.”