Finnair has revealed it’s launched more than 100 employee-driven sustainability initiatives in the last 12 months as part of the carrier’s centennial celebrations.

The new initiatives, all proposed by Finnair employees, range from the airline’s first voluntary purchase of Sustainable Aviation Fuel to recycling Finnair cabin and ground crew uniforms.

These diverse efforts represent important steps towards the Finnish flag carrier’s commitment to carbon-neutral flying by 2045 and supporting a circular economy. In March 2024 Finnair also submitted its emissions reduction intensity targets for validation by the Science Based Targets initiative (SBTi) to align its targets in line with the Paris Agreement.

Eveliina Huurre, Finnair SVP Sustainability, said: “In a special initiative during our centenary year, we invited our employees to help us shape a more eco-conscious future. The response was truly inspiring, with the Finnair team proposing over 250 inventive and thoughtful sustainability ideas.

“From these, we carefully selected around 100 bigger and smaller initiatives that aligned best with our environmental and social sustainability goals. We firmly believe each one of these actions underscores our dedication to paving the way for the next hundred years of aviation.”

Employees’ suggestions included minimising the use of single-use plastics and cardboard cups in the airline’s offices and on flights. In response, Finnair replaced cardboard cups with previously used Finnair Business Class chinaware in its offices and improved its processes for single-use cup usage on board.

Another notable employee-driven initiative was the installation of solar panels on the roofs of Finnair facilities. Finnair Cargo successfully installed 1,790 solar panels at the top of its COOL terminal, supplementing the 1,200 panels already in place. These panels now generate enough energy at peak capacity to fully power the cargo facility and supply excess energy to other Finnair buildings.

The centenary drive also encompassed energy-saving initiatives, such as implementing LED bulbs in facilities and installing innovative hatches to prevent unnecessary opening of hangar doors during the cold winter months.

Some of the most creative sustainability ideas were around digital practices. Finnair introduced green coding, a more sustainable computing approach designed to reduce the energy consumed in processing lines of code.

Meanwhile, Finnair collaborated with its cloud service provider AWS to explore effective strategies for developing its digital services sustainably. The company’s modern data centres in Europe are designed for energy efficiency and renewable energy use.

In tandem with its environmental efforts, the airline embraced several social sustainability ideas, focusing on wellbeing and inclusion. A notable step in this direction was the launch of an anonymous internal praise channel. Throughout their centenary year, the “Praise a Colleague” initiative facilitated the sharing of 1,946 messages of appreciation among Finnair employees, fostering a positive and supportive work atmosphere.

Recognising the importance of accessibility in social sustainability, Finnair also introduced the Chabla interpreter service. Chabla enhances customer service for individuals with hearing loss, ensuring a more inclusive and accessible experience for all customers.