Source: IATA

The International Air Transport Association (IATA) and ATPCO have announced a partnership which will see ATPCO use IATA’s CO2 Connect data in its Routehappy API offering later this year.

Routehappy is an API that helps airlines and sales channels to convey expected “Amenities” of the onboard experience, including seat pitch and type, Wi-Fi, power, entertainment, and more, to consumers at the time of booking.  ATPCO plans to create a new Amenity that will use IATA CO2 Connect data to help shoppers understand the carbon cost of various itinerary options.

The agreement was signed between Willie Walsh, IATA’s Director General and Alex Zoghlin, President and CEO of ATPCO during IATA’s 79th Annual General Meeting.

“We know travelers want to understand their flight’s environmental impact in a consistent, transparent and trustworthy way. IATA CO2 Connect is the most accurate tool providing this information. ATPCO customers will be able to make travel decisions using carbon calculations benefitting from top quality,” said Walsh.

“Routehappy data has been the one-stop shop for airline merchandising data for years. Adding this needed data is another way for ATPCO to provide more value back to our airline and channel partners, and in turn the consumers. It’s clear there is a growing interest from passengers, corporate, travel management companies, and travel agents to receive CO2 information so they can use it to compare flights and make a more sustainable choice. IATA’s CO2 Connect offers airline specific fuel burn data and we are looking forward to making this available to our growing list of Routehappy Rich Content partners,” said Zoghlin.

This answers a major consumer concern. Multiple studies have shown that consumers and corporate travelers want access to carbon emissions data, and that this information can influence purchasing decisions.

  • A recent IATA survey shows that nearly two-thirds of travelers believe they have a responsibility to know the carbon emissions of their flights, and that a third of air travelers believe carbon emissions is the most important factor in future travel decisions (1).
  • Trip.com’s 2022 sustainable travel report found that 78.7% of respondents agree that sustainable travel is vital, while 74.9% are likely to book sustainable travel in the future.
  • ATPCO’s annual consumer shopper survey, published in February 2022 found that 62% of shoppers think it’s extremely important to compare carbon emissions when flight shopping and that 63% claim that aircraft specific sustainability practices would influence the flight they book.

About CO2 Connect  

Launched in June 2022, IATA CO2 Connect provides airline specific actual fuel burn information and load factors. This sets it apart from theoretical data models which also exist on the market. It uses actual fuel burn data from 74 aircraft types, representing ~98% of the active global passenger fleet, and considers traffic data from 881 aircraft operators representing ~93% of global air travel.

Methodology: IATA CO2 Connect utilizes the Carbon Calculation Methodology adopted by IATA’s Passenger Service Conference in March 2022. This was conceived by leading partners from 20 airlines and major aircraft manufacturers, in consultation with international standard-setting bodies and logistics services providers. The methodology includes factors such as:

  • Guidance on fuel measurement, aligned with the Carbon Offsetting and Reduction Scheme for International Aviation (CORSIA)
  • Clearly defined scope to calculate CO2 emissions in relation to airlines’ flying activities
  • Guidance on non-CO2 related emissions and Radiative Forcing Index (RFI)
  • Weight based calculation principle: allocation of CO2 emission by passenger and belly cargo
  • Guidance on passenger weight, using actual and standard weight
  • Emissions factor for conversion of jet fuel consumption to CO2, fully aligned with CORSIA
  • Cabin class weighting and multipliers to reflect different cabin configurations of airlines
  • Guidance on carbon offsets and sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) as part of the CO2 calculation