For anyone that has travelled by plane recently, we’re certain you will have noticed the amount of plastic packaging you end up with during the flight. For one Portuguese airline, enough is enough. On the 27th December 2018, the world’s first plastic-free flight took to the skies, courtesy of Hi Fly.
During a 10-hour journey from Portugal to Brazil, passengers and staff were not allowed to se single-use plastic items, including carrier bags, cutlery and sick bags. In their place was alternatives made from bamboo and paper.
With this flight part of a series of test runs which prohibits plastic, Hi Fly aims to completely ban single-use plastic across all of their flights this year. The forward-thinking airline is currently reviewing a number of alternatives to plastics including compostable containers and items made of renewable, plant-based materials.
This isn’t the first time Hi Fly has led the way when it comes to promoting the need for the travel industry to rethink their plastic strategy. Hi Fly sponsored the Turn The Tide on Plastic yacht during Volvo’s Ocean Race sailing event in 2017. In July of last year, aircraft were emblazoned with a message to create awareness of the need to save the world’s coral reefs.
In a television interview, Hi Fly president Paulo Mirpuri said: “We can no longer ignore the impact plastic contamination has on ecosystems.”
It will be interesting to see which airlines and other companies from the aviation and transport sector make similar moves.