JetBlue marks Earth Day by encouraging staff and customers to do 'One Thing That’s Green'
Fri 23 Apr 2010 – To mark Earth Day yesterday, New York-based JetBlue Airways has launched a campaign to encourage customers, crew members and communities across its network to join in pledging to do ‘One Thing That’s Green’. For its part, the low-cost carrier is to donate one tree for each if its 12,000 crew members through its carbon offset partner Carbonfund.org. Through until July 9, customers can enter a sweepstake for the chance of winning a variety of eco-friendly prizes.
The airline created its ‘Jetting to Green’ initiative in 2008 to encourage environmentally practices through education and volunteerism, and has recently formed the ‘JetBlue Green Team’ within the airline to develop future green metrics.
“Just one small change in your daily routine can make a huge impact on the environment,” said JetBlue’s Corporate Social Responsibility Manager, Gina Rauscher. “By taking action and social responsibility, together we can help make a difference in preserving our planet by reducing our impact, volunteering our services and educating ourselves and others on environmentally-friendly practices.”
The airline reports that last year more than 64,000 people participated in its ‘Jetting to Green’ programme and the goal for 2010 is to encourage 100,000 more people to get involved.
The sweepstake, open only to US residents, includes a range of prizes such as eco-vacations and Vespa motor scooters, with the “Ultimate prize” a “total well-being experience” with “mind-body expert” Deepak Chopra.
The new ‘JetBlue Green Team’ is comprised of senior leadership from each major operating group throughout the airline and is tasked with developing green metrics for 2010 and beyond. Its mission is to explore, among other things, building greener operations and environmentally-friendly business opportunities – from new fuel technologies and recycling initiatives to new green products. Current practices include aircraft fuel saving initiatives, EcoPower engine wash processes and electric utility maintenance trucks.
JetBlue was voted ‘Most Eco-Friendly Airline’ by Zagat’s Airline Survey in 2008 and 2009, and was also ranked highest in customer satisfaction among North American low-cost carriers in 2009 by J.D. Power and Associates.
