The carrier intends to reduce its net emissions by 50% by the end of 2025 and achieve carbon neutrality by 2045 “at the latest”.

Finnair said its strategy featured a “holistic approach to transform operations” to bring its climate footprint down dramatically.

As part of its actions, the airline will invest from €3.5 billion-€4 billion in its fleet by 2025 to reduce emissions in European traffic by up to 15%.

It will also inject €60 million into its sustainability drive during that period and has entered a partnership with Finland-based Neste, to increase its use of sustainable aviation fuels, refined from waste.

Among its plans, Finnair will reduce the amount of weight carried onboard each flight (including ending in-flight travel retail sales within the EU on 29 April) and offset carbon emissions of corporate customers’ flights.

The carrier will also invite customers to make sustainable choices by introducing new ticket types, allowing passengers to support biofuel purchases or offsetting initiatives later this year. 

Finnair will match every customer’s contribution with biofuel purchases as well as remove 230 tonnes of plastic from its flights, cutting single-use plastics in half by the end of 2022. 

In 2019, Finnair removed 80,000kg of plastic through increased recycling and smarter material choices and is now moving to axe plastic cutlery from its economy cabin dining with more sustainable knives, forks and spoons - reducing a further 53 tonnes of plastic from its flights per year.

It will also introduce more vegetarian meal options for customers during 2020, to counter CO2 generated by meat production and take action to reduce food waste in catering operations by 50% by the end of 2022.

On the ground, measures will be taken to use renewable energy in the airline’s non-flight operations, to power vehicles and in Finnair’s offices.

Topi Manner, Finnair chief executive, said: “Aviation is a fast-paced industry subject to many changes, and everything impacts it. Maintaining a long-term perspective at all times, in all market situations is key. The plans we announced today prepare us for the next 100 years of Finnair’s future.

“Our number-one goal is to reduce our own CO2 emissions by investing in new aircraft technology, by flying fuel-efficiently, by decreasing aircraft weight and by increasing the use of sustainable aviation fuels. We are also investing in innovation and research to create future solutions that support our long-term target of carbon neutrality.”

Anne Larilahti, Finnair’s vice-president of sustainability, said: “The ambitious targets we have announced today are achievable through the tangible steps which we know will make a real contribution to CO2 reduction.

“By working together with our customers, partners and our employees we can embrace this challenge with confidence. We want to encourage innovation and engagement, from our customers to our staff to our supply chain to show Finnair can lead the way to make a real difference.”