SkyTeam CEO: Sustainability sets us apart from the other alliances

SkyTeam CEO Patrick Roux spoke with Simple Flying Managing Editor Tom Boon during an interview at the World Aviation Festival in Amsterdam in October. Roux stated that aviation sustainability is what sets SkyTeam apart - particularly through its annual Aviation Challenge. Last year, SkyTeam's Aviation Challenge seven category winners were Kenya Airways, KLM Royal Dutch Airlines, Air France, TAROM, China Eastern Airlines, KLM Cityhopper, and Air Europa Patrick Roux said, “Our DNA is to be the most integrated alliance. We have more JVs and equity partners than the other alliances, so it creates a solid building block to create customer benefits because the level of integration is a little bit higher. The other alliances are not very active (in sustainability)." Roux went on to explain that other alliances leave sustainability to their members. "We decided that, of course, it’s each airline’s policy, but the value of an alliance is to also exchange best practices to organize acceleration…" Roux explained that SkyTeam works to help foster sustainability by organizing a 'friendly competition' called the Aviation Challenge (previously called the Sustainable Flight Challenge or TSFC). He explained the challenge is intended to be a way for airlines to "test ideas, to exchange those ideas among themselves, and to adopt them and to accelerate the transition."<br/>