SkyTeam names winners of The Aviation Challenge 2025 focused on sustainable business travel

3 Feb

SkyTeam has announced the winners of The Aviation Challenge 2025, recognising airlines from around the world for delivering measurable sustainability improvements through collaborative innovation across the aviation industry.

For UK-based business travel buyers and travellers, this news is particularly relevant as it highlights how airlines are making tangible progress in reducing emissions, improving operational efficiency and accelerating the adoption of Sustainable Aviation Fuel (SAF) — all issues that increasingly influence corporate travel policies, traveller choice and reporting requirements for business travel.

Announced at an awards ceremony hosted by SAS in Copenhagen on 22 January 2026, The Aviation Challenge (TAC) 2025 brought together 22 participating airlines, including subsidiaries, affiliates and non-SkyTeam members, to test and showcase practical sustainability solutions through more than 80 dedicated flights between 26 September and 26 October 2025 — the highest number of showcase flights since the initiative began.

Across these showcase flights, participating airlines achieved an average improvement of 13.5% in CO₂ intensity (CO₂/RTK) compared with their own standard operations, and a 12% reduction compared with the industry average, delivered through route optimisation, maintenance advancements, aircraft weight reduction initiatives and increased use of SAF.

Patrick Roux, CEO of SkyTeam, said

“The Aviation Challenge 2025 centered on the theme of ‘Impact’—driving tangible, measurable results. We are proud of and inspired by the outcomes of this fourth edition, as well as the innovation and commitment shown by participating airlines. Congratulations to our 2025 winners for their efforts to help shape a more responsible future for aviation. Year after year, TAC continues to demonstrate the power of collective action in delivering meaningful progress.”

Mads Brandstrup, Senior Vice President Communication, Public Affairs and Sustainability at SAS, said

“The Aviation Challenge shows how much progress can be unlocked when airlines collaborate on practical solutions that can be applied across the industry. As hosts in Copenhagen, we have seen how bringing leaders and operational teams together accelerates shared learning and tangible improvements across the alliance. This is how aviation advances—through collective effort rather than isolated initiatives.”

From a business travel perspective, initiatives showcased during TAC 2025 included KLM Cityhopper’s 100% SAF ticket pilot, which embedded the full SAF surcharge into ticket prices to test customer acceptance, TUI’s introduction of 3D printing for non-load bearing aircraft parts to reduce emissions and lead times, and Air France’s replacement of dry ice with reusable gel packs on short- and medium-haul flights from Paris Charles de Gaulle.

A total of 224 solutions were submitted for assessment, with entries rigorously evaluated by a panel of aviation and sustainability experts including the Netherlands Aerospace Centre (NLR) and PA Consulting, and winners selected by a jury featuring representatives from organisations such as ACI World, EUROCONTROL and the Air Transport Action Group.

The full list of award winners included:

Air Europa (Most Impactful Solution – Flight Operations),
Scandinavian Airlines (Most Impactful Solution – Ground Operations),
Saudia (Most Impactful Solution – Cargo),
Delta Air Lines (Most Impactful Solution – MRO),
Kenya Airways (Most Impactful Solution – Catering and Game Changer of the Year),
Vietnam Airlines (Most Impactful Solution – Inflight Products),
Air Europa (Sustainability Training & Development),
China Airlines (Transformational Impact through SAF),
Air France (Sustainable Procurement & Supply Chain Excellence),
Korean Air (Data & Insights Pioneer), TUI (Team of the Year),
Virgin Atlantic (Best Cross-Industry Collaboration),
KLM Cityhopper (Pioneer of the Year), KLM (Best Showcase Flight),
Air France (Best Knowledge-Sharing Contribution),
JamboJet (Most Compelling Story),
Transavia Netherlands (Best In-Depth Article or Report).

Paul Baker, Sales Director of Global Travel Management, said

“For UK business travellers and travel managers, initiatives like The Aviation Challenge provide real confidence that airlines are moving beyond pledges and delivering measurable improvements that support more responsible business travel, while maintaining the reliability and network connectivity that corporate travellers depend on.”

As sustainability continues to play a growing role in business travel decision-making, Global Travel Management works closely with airline partners to help organisations understand how initiatives like these translate into real-world benefits for travellers and travel programmes, and customers are encouraged to contact their Global Travel Management Account Manager if they would like further information about this topic.