Etihad Airways will adopt a mangrove tree for every Economy Space seat booked

Abu Dhabi airline is aiming to reduce its carbon output by launching the Etihad Mangrove Forest

The Etihad Mangrove Forest on Jubail Island in Abu Dhabi. Photo: Etihad Airways

Etihad Airways has announced a new incentive as part of its Abu Dhabi Mangrove Initiative.

The project, in partnership the Environment Agency — Abu Dhabi, was launched in February and aims to conserve mangroves to address the climate crisis and safeguard biodiversity.

To further its carbon reduction goals, Etihad will now adopt a mangrove tree for every Economy Space seat sold on its flights, meaning those seats will eventually become carbon neutral. Economy Space is located at the front of the economy cabin and offers more than four inches of extra legroom for an additional cost.

According to Etihad, one mangrove tree will, in its lifetime, remove the same amount of carbon dioxide as that created during a seven-hour flight.

How it works

Travellers who book an Economy Space seat will get an email within 10 days of flying confirming their gift of a mangrove in the Etihad Forest. Then, via a link in the email, passengers can track, virtually visit and see photos, as well as other details, of their tree, and information on how much carbon has been offset from their travel.

People plant mangroves during an event organised by Companies for Good on Jubail Island, Abu Dhabi. All photos: Vidhyaa Chandramohan

To fight climate change, the UAE is carrying out projects such as reducing emissions and planting mangroves.

Mangroves, trees that survive in salty water, play an important part in the ecosystem.

By 2030, the UAE intends to plant 100 million mangroves.

Visitors at Jubail Mangrove Park. Schools and businesses are planting saplings as part of the UAE's campaign.

Volunteers during a mangrove clean-up organised by the World Wildlife Fund and Seahawk Abu Dhabi.

Young mangroves can be damaged by plastic and other waste dumped into the sea.

Volunteers sort rubbish gathered during a clean-up of mangroves in Abu Dhabi.

After collecting debris from the mangroves, volunteers use an app to track their progress.

The grey mangrove is the species that grows extensively in UAE.

Visitors enjoy an evening paddle by the mangroves and a sunset view of Abu Dhabi.

There’s also the option to register the tree so guests can easily revisit it at a later date.

Through the platform’s app, Etihad guests can “chat” with their chatbot connected with the tree, while also being able to track it with satellite maps and access data, including related to CO2 consumption.

“In addition to our own sustainability ambitions, we made a commitment to helping our guests and partners to travel more sustainably and empower them to make conscious choices," said Mariam Al Qubaisi, head of sustainability at Etihad Aviation Group.

"With the latest evolution of our sustainability programme to plant a mangrove on behalf of every guest who books an Economy Space seat, we’re simplifying the process so anyone can travel sustainably.

“The Etihad Mangrove Forest is a key initiative in our sustainability journey to ensure our responsibility to remove carbon from the atmosphere is progressing. The intent is to create forests on all continents we fly to, and to provide our guests with an engaging opportunity to take part in the solution."

Adopt a mangrove in Abu Dhabi

Travellers, businesses and individuals can adopt a mangrove in the Etihad Mangrove Forest as a way to help lower their carbon footprint.

Doing so costs Dh18.50 ($5) per tree, and people can track it online or using the dedicated app. Adopters will receive a unique code that identifies their particular shrub, as well as its geolocation within the UAE's only evergreen forest.

The adoption fees of each tree will be pooled into a common fund that will be used to plant new trees, collect seeds, operate a mangrove nursery and take care of the existing shrubs at the Jubail Island site.