EgyptAir's first green flight aims to cut down on single-use plastics

Set to take off on Saturday from Cairo to Paris, flight 799 will be the first of its kind to be operated by an African airline

EgyptAir is aiming to reduce single-use plastics on board its flights by 90 per cent. Reuters

In a bid to show its commitment to the fight against climate change, Egyptian national carrier EgyptAir will operate Africa’s first “green flight” on Saturday.

Set to take off from Cairo and land in Paris, flight 799 will "offer environmentally friendly products and services”, said EgyptAir. The flight marks the launch of a new programme called “Green Service Flight”, which will operate more green flights in the future.

The decision was taken at the government’s behest. The country’s civil aviation minister, Mohamed Manar, lauded the effort, saying the launch is in line with Egypt’s Vision 2030, which aims to prioritise sustainability.

He stressed that the Egyptian civil aviation sector attaches great importance to confronting the effects of climate change.

Amr Abol-Enein, chairman of the holding company for EgyptAir, said that the airline will use the flight as a way to raise awareness of the dangers of single-use plastics.

The national carrier is aiming to reduce single-use plastics on board its flights by 90 per cent.

Abol-Enein said that as a start, 27 products on board the flight, which had previously been made of single-use plastic, have been replaced with more sustainable alternatives.

Furthermore, a new logo has been designed to signify that a flight, product or service is environmentally friendly.

To mark the event, EgyptAir announced it would offer a 40 per cent discount on tickets for Saturday’s flight.