At Glenorchy Air, we’ve always believed that flying over New Zealand’s most breathtaking landscapes should not come at the expense of the environment we treasure. That’s why we’re proud to announce that Glenorchy Air is now officially Toitū Carbon Reduce certified – the only aviation company in Queenstown to achieve this globally recognised certification.
What Does Toitū Carbon Reduce Mean?
Toitū certification is built on international ISO standards, providing rigorous and transparent measurement of our carbon footprint. This certification means we’ve tracked and audited all greenhouse gas emissions from our operations – and we’re actively working to reduce them year after year.
How We’re Reducing Our Carbon Impact
Our commitment to sustainability runs deep, and certification is just one step on our journey. Here’s how we’re making a real difference:
Smarter Scheduling: We’ve introduced more sustainable flight scheduling to reduce “empty legs,” optimising operations without compromising the customer experience.
Filling Every Flight: Our Flight Management System (FMS) helps us load each aircraft to its maximum safe capacity, ensuring fewer flight hours per passenger – a key metric for reducing emissions.
Ground Transport: We use our own vans rather than taxis, cutting down on unnecessary emissions.
Modern Fleet: We operate one of the lowest CO₂ footprints of any fixed-wing scenic flight company in Queenstown, with 4 out of 5 aircraft running on unleaded jet fuel instead of traditional leaded AvGas.
Advanced Technology: Every aircraft in our fleet uses modern avionics and fuel-efficient systems to reduce overall fuel burn.
Building a Sustainable Future
We’re not stopping here. We’ve created a Sustainability Framework to guide our future decisions, with a goal to reduce our emissions by at least 5% year on year. We believe that thoughtful innovation – from better planning to the technology in our aircraft – allows us to offer world-class scenic flights with the smallest environmental footprint possible.
Flying over Milford Sound or Mount Cook is a once-in-a-lifetime experience, but we want to ensure future generations can enjoy the same pristine beauty. As leaders in sustainable aviation in Queenstown, we’re proving that a scenic flight can be more than just a flight – it can be part of a movement towards a greener future.
Learn more about our Sustainabity efforts here.
