VOLOTEA’S DIRECT FLIGHT MODEL AVOIDS 54% OF CO₂ EMISSIONS | News

Volotea, the airline that connects small and medium-sized European cities, operates a direct flight connectivity model that helps significantly reduce the environmental impact of air travel. According to a company study, direct flights can reduce CO2 emissions by 54% compared to routes that require connecting flights. This improvement is driven by several factors, including the avoidance of 58% of connection-related travel time and a 37% decrease in distance travelled. This significantly reduces fuel consumption, and therefore CO₂ emissions per journey. These benefits are further supported by an occupancy rate that has remained above 90% since 2018 and reached 91% in 2024, maximizing operational efficiency and optimizing resource use.

Since its launch in 2012, Volotea has implemented more than 50 initiatives aimed at reducing fuel consumption in its fleet. As a result, by the end of 2024, the airline had reduced CO2 emissions per passenger kilometer (RPK) by 50% compared to 2012 levels, reaching this milestone five years ahead of schedule. By 2025, the reduction was more than 51% compared to 2012. The airline has now set a new target to reduce emissions by 55-60% by 2030.

The company also offset 23.6% of its emissions by 2025 through a range of European and international projects. In concrete terms, Volotea has offset almost 80,000 tons of CO₂ in France through more than 25 projects certified under the Low Carbon Label (Label Bas-Carbone, LBC).

In terms of sustainable aviation fuel use (SAF), Volotea used more than 7 million liters of SAF in 2025, which represents more than 2% of total fuel consumption and puts the airline more than three times above the industry average, which was around 0.6% in the same period.

This represents a significant increase compared to 2024, when the airline used approximately 1.3 million liters of SAF[1]multiplying annual SAF consumption by more than five in just one year. On a cumulative basis, Volotea has absorbed more than 9.4 million liters of SAF into its operations between 2022 and 2025, reflecting a clear acceleration in the adoption of sustainable aviation fuels.

According to the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO), SAF offers the greatest potential to reduce CO2 emissions from international air transport in the short and medium term. The SAF used by Volotea can reduce lifecycle CO2 emissions by up to 90% compared to conventional fossil-based jet fuel.

According to Gloria Carreras, ESG Director of Volotea: “When we talk about sustainability in aviation, the focus is often on new technologies or sustainable aviation fuels, and rightly so. However, it is equally important to recognize that the way an airline designs its network can have a direct impact on emissions. At Volotea, we have built a unique network in Europe that provides direct connections between small and medium-sized cities, bringing opportunities closer to people and regions that are traditionally less connected, while also providing longer and less efficient connections This combination of social impact and operational efficiency is one of our greatest strengths and a key driver of the progress we continue to make in reducing our emissions.”

These achievements were validated during the fifth external audit of Voloterra, Volotea’s sustainability program, carried out by the international accounting firm EQA, a specialist in sustainability and environmental verification and certification. The audit confirmed the company’s key environmental and sustainability performance indicators for the 2025 financial year, including SAF usage, evolution of emissions per passenger kilometer, operational efficiency initiatives and carbon offset measures implemented by the airline.

As part of its broader sustainability strategy, Volotea continues to strengthen connectivity between Europe’s small and medium-sized cities through direct flights. By 2026, more than 93% of the airline’s routes cannot be served by rail in less than six hours, and none of its more than 400 routes can be served by rail in less than three hours.

The verification process also recognized the company’s additional sustainability initiatives, including collaborations with industry stakeholders to support the development of sustainable aviation fuels. In this context, Volotea maintains agreements with Moeve and Repsol in Spain, TotalEnergies in France and Enilive in Italy.

For more information about Voloterra, visit: https://www.volotea.com/en/sustainability/.