April 18, 2024
4AIR today launched as the first emissions reduction solution provider focused solely on helping private aviation participants to offset or reduce their emissions of carbon dioxide and other climate-related pollutants. The company will provide a comprehensive approach to reducing or eliminating aviation emissions, with a simplified and verifiable path to mitigating the environmental impact of aviation activities for any company or individual in private aviation.
“4AIR creates a new standard for sustainability in private aviation, giving those who own or fly on private aircraft the ability to address the environmental impacts of their flights,” said Kennedy Ricci, 4AIR’s president. “4AIR starts where other environmental programs end – with carbon neutrality – and continues on up to emission reductions and supporting the future of environmentally-friendly aviation. We don’t want to merely neutralize the impact of private aviation, but instead, make it part of the solution for long-term sustainability.”
According to a press release, 4AIR was “incubated by Directional Aviation,” whose OneSky Flight includes Flexjet, Sentient Jet, FXAIR, and PrivateFly. Kennedy Ricci is the son of Directional principal, Kenn Ricci.
NetJets, VistaJet, and a number of private jet charter brokers, including Air Charter Service, Paramount, Private Jet Services, and Victor have all launched carbon offset options in the past several years. In launching its European fractional share program in November, Flexjet also announced a CO2 offset program.
A spokesperson for Directional tells Private Jet Card Comparisons, “Although 4AIR is backed by the resources and expertise of Directional Aviation and its family of companies, it will operate as a stand-alone company, separate from other Directional Aviation-held companies, to ensure that all organizations participating in the 4AIR program have complete confidentiality, exclusive access to their information and equal competitive standing.”
Nancy Bsales, 4AIR’s Chief Operating Officer, Sustainability, added, “Aviation directly represents 2% of global carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions, but the true impact on climate is closer to 5% when considering all emissions and non-CO2 impacts. The industry has made sweeping commitments to sustainability by 2050, and 4AIR’s programs can help private aviation participants do their part.”
4AIR offers benchmarks that are aligned with industrywide goals and consistent with international standards. According to the announcement, the framework offers four levels, each with specific, science-based goals, independently verified results, and progressively greater impacts on sustainability.
4AIR Bronze allows participants to be carbon-neutral by offsetting all of their carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions with verified carbon offset credits. 4AIR measures a client’s carbon emissions and then enables them to identify and purchase credits that fund specific, verified, real-world projects intended to offset carbon emission
Two-thirds of an aircraft’s environmental impact comes from non-carbon dioxide warming pollutants such as water vapor, soot, and contrails. 4AIR Silver enables participants to be fully emissions-neutral, compensating for non-CO2 impacts with verified offsets.
4AIR Gold allows participants to go beyond emissions neutrality to actually reducing emissions by at least 5%. Solutions include operational improvements, low-emitting aircraft, and the use of Sustainable Aviation Fuel (SAF). Although the availability of SAF is still limited, participants can support its use by purchasing Sustainable Aviation Fuel credits through 4AIR.
4AIR Platinum allows participants to support new technology in aviation with a contribution to the Aviation Climate Fund, a nonprofit aimed at supporting research and development in aviation sustainability. Direct contributions to the Aviation Climate Fund are made based on the participant’s carbon footprint.
Companies or individuals make a commitment to a specific level of the 4AIR framework: Pledging to become carbon-neutral; to become emission-neutral; to generate direct emissions reductions or to become a Climate Champion. A 4AIR rating can be applied to existing sustainability efforts or offered as a turnkey full-service program.
At the end of the year, 4AIR certifies the accomplishments of each company or individual based upon relevant flight data (such as actual fuel consumption) in order to audit the previous year’s commitment and retire final carbon offset credits earned. Companies that achieve or surpass the level they committed would be eligible for the coming year.
“The keystones of 4AIR’s framework are progressive steps, transparent accomplishments, industrywide collaboration, and global acceptance and recognition,” said Bsales. “Through a proprietary framework with ambitious goals, rigorous evaluation, and full accountability, 4AIR’s process not only has effectiveness but also credibility with industry players. We look forward to setting a new standard for aviation sustainability.”
Its greenhouse gas accounting tool for aviation is easily incorporated into company-level greenhouse gas inventories meeting global reporting standards and guidelines. Carbon intensity aligns with International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) and Greenhouse Gas Protocol corporate accounting and reporting standards and allows for tracking of metrics for ESG (environmental, social, governance) data.
All carbon credits through 4AIR are quantified and verified through respected and international leading bodies that issue and register credits, including the American Carbon Registry, Climate Action Reserve, Verified Carbon Standard (VERRA), and The Gold Standard. Additionally, end-of-year commitment audits are independently verified by third parties.
