The German leisure, travel, and tourism group TUI has announced and approved its sustainability agenda, which includes the commitment to reduce its environmental footprint well ahead of 2050.

TUI's 2030 sustainability targets

TUI Group has revealed its strategy for reducing its environmental impact, referred to as the 'People, Planet and Progress' program. This initiative comprises fifteen separate focus areas, including the TUI airline's “investments into state-of-the-art aircraft.”

TUI Group, like many in the aviation industry, is striving to reduce its carbon footprint, with this being the primary focus. According to the company, TUI's airline accounts for around 80% of the travel group's emissions, even though between 2008 and 2022, the TUI airline has reduced CO2 per revenue passenger kilometer by 18%.

Photo: TUI Airways

Currently, the carrier aims to reduce its emissions by 24% by 2030. To achieve this, the airline will increase the use of sustainable aviation fuels (SAF), renew its fleet, and optimize flight routes.

Commenting on its sustainability targets, Sebastian Ebel, CEO of TUI Group, said that politicians and airports should think about incentivizing airlines with more efficient aircraft:

"Higher fees for older aircraft, lower fees for the use of SAF, and more carbon-efficient aircraft. These are simple mechanisms to directly strengthen investments in sustainability."

As part of its 2030 sustainability targets, the airline also aims to reduce food waste by 25% and limit unnecessary plastic packaging.

Ebel added,

“New technology and innovations will continue to open new possibilities and will spur us on to be more ambitious. That's why we will keep reviewing and adjusting our targets. We want to reduce faster and more comprehensively, and we will also communicate this to our suppliers and partners. Anyone working with TUI must be prepared to pursue ambitious goals and walk the path with us.”

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TUI Group 2023 fleet

It is safe to say that the Boeing 737 is the backbone of TUI’s short-haul fleet and the Boeing 787 Dreamliner is the backbone of the airline's long-haul fleet. According to Planespotters.net data, TUI has a total of 138 aircraft across its subsidiaries. Of them, 102 are Boeing 737s, including 62 Boeing 737-800s, 36 Boeing 737 MAX 8s, and four Boeing 737-700 jets.

The group’s fleet also includes 19 Boeing 787 Dreamliners (13 787-9s and six larger capacity 787-9s), nine Airbus A330s, four Boeing 767s, and four Embraer ERJ-190 regional jets. The average age of TUI's fleet is 8.9 years.

Photo: JS_Fotoworx | Shutterstock

In addition, the group's subsidiary TUI Belgium is set to welcome three Embraer E195-E2 jets to its fleet in order to operate short-haul routes, primarily from Antwerp. TUI announced in October 2022 a long-term lease agreement with AerCap. The new aircraft is expected to join the airline’s fleet in the first half of 2023.

Sources: Planespotters.net