The age of an aircraft tells us a lot about its consumption and emissions. Each new generation of jet aircraft use up to a quarter less fuel than the previous generation. The amount of carbon dioxide emissions decrease in the same proportion. Finnair aircraft today consume a fourth less fuel than in 1999. Finnair's European and domestic fleet has an average age of under three years.

Finnair is improving the eco-efficiency of its fleet in many ways. Winglets, which cut fuel consumption and carbon dioxide emissions by up to five per cent, have been installed on the wings of the Finnair Leisure Traffic Boeing 757 fleet. Also the seats of the European Airbus fleet have been replaced with a lighter model. Even though the number of seats on the aircraft has increased, the weight empty has dropped by 800 kg. The renewal saves 10 per cent fuel per seat.

Finnair also aims to operate its flights at optimal cruising speed and altitude so the aircraft consumes as little fuel as possible. Washing the aircraft also affects fuel consumption. The engines suck in dirt off the surface of the aircraft which decreases their efficiency. Engines of clean aircraft use up to one per cent less fuel than those of dirty aircraft.

However, not all emissions cutting is in Finnair's hands. Direct routes play an important role. Finnair already offers its customers the shortest connections between Europe and Asia, but especially in European airspace flight efficiency could be improved. The UN Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) estimates that up to 18% of fuel is wasted on inefficient infrastructure and operating methods. The same amount of unnecessary CO2 emissions are procduced. The Single European Sky, where the EU airspace is brought under one controlling body would straighten flight routes and decrease emissions in EU airspace.

Finnair believes that it is the airlines' responsibility to carry out their environmental duties. Finnair does this by constantly renewing its fleet and offering its customers the most direct routes between Europe and Asia, via Helsinki. All airlines operating between Europe and Asia fly over Finland since the shortest great circle route between the continents passes over Finnair's home land. Should you fly from Berlin via Frankfurt to Beijing, you have been flying for over an hour in the wrong direction. Fuel is wasted and unnecessary emissions created. By choosing a direct flight, customers can save up to 30% in the emissions their trip produces. If Finnair were to still operate MD-80s, as many airlines do, it would be using 120,000 kg more fuel per day.

Finnair is strongly for the global emissions trading model.

The national civil aviation administrations are responsible for controlling noise levels at airports. The goal is that the smallest possible number of people are subjected to noise and, in Finland, a central means of reaching this goal is to correctly zone the surrounding areas. Noise certification requirements for aircraft are set by the International Civil Aviation Organisation, ICAO.

Finnair carries its responsibility for noise by renewing its fleet and optimising its takeoffs and approaches from a noise perspective. The Finnair Boeing 757 fleet, Airbus A319 and A320 as well as the Embraer 170 and 190 aircraft already fulfil the stricter noise level requirements of the future. Finnair's first Airbus A340, which joined the fleet in June 2006 is comparable in its takeoff noise level to the Boeing MD-11. In landing its is clearly quiter.

Oxides of nitrogen weaken local air quality at airports. Oxides of nitrogen are not only produced by air traffic but also by ground equipment used at airports.

Finnair's Airbus fleet modern CFM56 engines use high technology which aims, in addition to improving energy efficiency, to decrease oxides of nitrogen emissions. The same type of engines have been selected for Finnair's new Airbus A340 long-haul aircraft.

At Finnair waste is produced in the aircraft cabins, in Finnair Catering, in the Finnair Technical Division and naturally also in the offices.

In the cabin, aluminium, glass, bottles and energy waste are sorted. Finnair also collects energy waste on domestic flights. Finnair Catering sorts all its waste, including bio waste. Finnair Catering implements the ISO 14001 environmental management system.

In Finnair Technical Services a large amount of problem waste is produced in aircraft maintenance. The collection and disposal of this waste is done responsibly by the Technical Services storage organisation. These activities are also controlled by strict environmental authority permits. Finnair Technical Division also has an environmental permit for its activities from the Uusimaa environmental administration.

In Finnair's offices and canteens waste is also sorted. In the offices recyclable paper, energy waste and mixed waste are sorted, in the canteens packaging and bio waste also.

In Finnair the most visible way of saving energy, in this case fuel, is renewing the fleet. But Finnair Group also has other activities where energy-saving methods are used.

Thermal energy consumption at Finnair facilities is greatly affected by the heating of large aircraft hangars in the winter. Finnair Technical Division heat consumption accounts for about 70% of the total usage. Opening the doors of the hangars makes a great impact on thermal energy consumption. A significant amount of energy can be saved if several aircraft can be moved in to the hangar at one time. Outside temperature also greatly influences consumption figures.

Finnair's ground equipment at airports run on, for the most part, completely sulphur-free heating oil. Heating oil causes fewer carbon dioxide and oxides of nitrogen emissions than equipment using regular fuel.

In addition to electricity, Finnair Catering also consumes also water in the washing of catering equipment from aircraft, for instance. Working methods at Finnair Catering's dish washing department have been rationalised in past years. Catering equipment from aircraft is now washed with one big dish washing machine instead of the previous two. The use of only one machine has significantly reduced water, electricity and detergent consumption.

In 2008, Finnair Catering moved to new, modern facilities at Helsinki Airport. The new facilities pay special attention to waste disposal, and energy and water conservation.

In 2006, Finland’s environmental administration published the Transport MIPS study that looks at the effects of different forms of transport on the environment in Finland. The MIPS (material input per unit service) indicator was used to determine how much a given service or activity uses up natural resources in relation to what is gained by it. This means that not only do the calculations take into account the environmental load of aeroplanes, cars and bicycles, but road and rail infrastructure and airports as well.

Air traffic uses a fairly modest portion of non-renewable resources and its infrastructure is very light. In Finland, the length of all runways put together is 75 km, whereas the length of the rail network is 5,851 km. Domestic air traffic uses up 0.6 kg of non-renewable resources per person per km, whereas the corresponding figure for rail traffic is 1,2 kg. Of the forms of transport studied, cars used up the most non-renewable resources: 1.5 kg per person per km.

Transport MIPS – the natural resource consumption of the Finnish transport system

Finnair supports the Finnish Association for Nature Conservation water conservation project. The aim of the project is to prevent the further eutrophication of the Baltic Sea by decreasing the load on Finnish coastal and internal waters and rivers. The Baltic Sea area is one of Finnair's most important market areas. Through cooperation we are involved in a project that millions of people will benefit from. It is important for Finnair that our environment does well and that we can all benefit from the clean, beautiful nature of the Baltic Sea area.