Kenya Airways|c

The Aviation Challenge (TAC)

Turning Operations into a Living Sustainability Lab.
What it is: SkyTeam’s annual program where airlines test, prove, and scale sustainability solutions above and below the wing—sharing what works across the industry.
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The Aviation Challenge (TAC) Journey

At the heart of Kenya Airways’ TAC journey are our Sustainability Champions. Across every part of the airline, you voiced bold ideas, built the business cases, and are now implementing them—turning TAC 2025 from vision into reality. Cross-department collaboration and partner knowledge-sharing have helped us achieve what once felt impossible. Thank you to every team for the dedication that

2025 — TAC “From Idea to Impact” (Awards pending)

Key Highlights

16 SAF-powered return showcase flights — 28 Sep to 28 Oct 2025
First-ever intra-Africa SAF-powered flight — Nairobi ⇄ Cape Town
2% SAF blend on all showcase flights — uplifted in Kenya
Independent verification — Royal Netherlands Aerospace Centre (NLR) to confirm CO₂, fuel, and waste reductions

Everyday Operational Practices That Add Up

Semi-dry aircraft wash — improves efficiency and increases aircraft availability
Cabin waste reduction & customer engagement — crew-led actions that raise awareness
Reducing single-use plastics — progressive phase-down across inflight service
Sustainable procurement — embedding sustainability across our value chain
Electric GPUs & optimized GSE — cutting ground energy intensity
Flight efficiency techniques — measurable reductions in fuel burn and emissions

Individually, these steps may seem incremental—together, they are transformative.

Made-in-Kenya SAF (Why 2025 Is Historic)

For the first time, Kenya Airways is uplifting Sustainable Aviation Fuel made in Kenya and powering all showcase flights with a 2% blend. This:

Proves the viability of local SAF production
Strengthens national energy independence
Positions Kenya at the forefront of global aviation decarbonisation
Builds momentum to deepen integration, expand partnerships, and unlock finance for scale

Closing & Call to Action

The Aviation Challenge is not just a competition; it’s Kenya Airways’ journey to prove that every step we take to manage our environmental impact counts. With SAF made in Kenya and the tireless work of our Sustainability Champions, African aviation can set the benchmark for sustainability.

Have an idea to cut emissions, reduce waste, or scale impact? Share it and help shape the next chapter of TAC: sustainability@kenya-airways.com

2024 - The Sustainable Flight Challenge (TSFC) Rebrand to The Aviation Challenge (TAC)d (From pilots to scale)

Scaled a new catering setup—traditional bread baskets + aluminium containers—projected to eliminate ~24 tonnes of single-use plastics per year. In parallel, KQ’s SAF scale-up plan—partnering toward Kenya’s first local SAF production plant—earned Best Approach to Scaling SAF.

Awards (KQ):

Best Scaled Catering Solution — replacing single-use plastics with traditional bread baskets + aluminum meal containers; ~24 tonnes plastic eliminated annually.
Best Approach to Scaling SAF — initiative to shift Kenya from SAF feedstock supplier to local SAF producer, advancing ecosystem readiness.

The Sustainable Flight Challenge (TSFC) Rebrand to The Aviation Challenge (TAC)d (From pilots to scale)

2023 — The Sustainable Flight Challenge (TSFC) Breakthrough Year (Africa leads on SAF)

Piloted Sustainable Aviation Fuel (SAF) on NBO–AMS long-haul, becoming the first African airline to operate a long-haul flight from Africa to Europe using SAF. KQ captured operational and policy learnings from the run and was awarded Best Innovation.

Awards (KQ):

Best Innovation (SkyTeam official) — KQ’s leadership in pioneering an Africa-origin SAF supply chain and operating the first international flight in Africa using SAF.
Most Impactful Breakthrough (KQ comms) — recognition of the same SAF milestone from KQ’s press office.

2022 — The Sustainable Flight Challenge (TSFC) Inaugural Wins (Foundations)

KQ mobilised the whole airline around the challenge and co-created a lower-impact inflight service with NAS Servair On the showcase flights, KQ emphasised local, organic menus and waste-smart service, pairing that with fuel-efficient 787 ops, weight reduction, optimized routing, and low-thrust procedures to cut the flight footprint.

Awards (KQ):

Best Employee Engagement — recognized staff-wide mobilization for sustainability actions during the challenge.
Best Partnership (with NAS Servair) — for the inflight catering collaboration and locally sourced, eco-friendly menus.

2022 — The Sustainable Flight Challenge (TSFC) Inaugural Wins (Foundations)

The Aviation Challenge (TAC)

2024 - The Sustainable Flight Challenge (TSFC) Rebrand to The Aviation Challenge (TAC)d (From pilots to scale)

2023 — The Sustainable Flight Challenge (TSFC) Breakthrough Year (Africa leads on SAF)

2022 — The Sustainable Flight Challenge (TSFC) Inaugural Wins (Foundations)

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