Low-cost air carrier Kulula has become South Africa’s greenest airline with the launch of their Project Green initiative.
The project was launched on Tuesday with the planting of 50 trees at Monde Primary School in Katlehong.
According to Business Day, Kulula has partnered with Food and Trees for Africa, in an initiative that will see the airline making a concerted effort to address their carbon footprint. Kulula is the first airline in South Africa to embark on such a programme.
A central aspect of Project Green is creating public awareness around the issues of carbon emissions and inviting Kulula users to play their part in making a difference. Since December 2007 Kulula has created an opportunity for their online users to contribute to Project Green, when making a booking. Users can choose to add an additional R10 – R200 to their booking fee, which will go directly towards greening rural communities and schools throughout South Africa.
“Every cent earned from your generous donations will determine how many trees we can plant and how many schools we can help,” says the airline’s website.
"With 600 000 people using our website each month, we believe that we can raise a substantial amount from online users," CEO Gidon Novick, said to Business Day.
Another step that Kulula has taken towards off set their carbon emissions is the upgrade of their fleet. According to Business Day the Kulula Fleet has been upgraded from Boeing MD-82s to newer and more fuel-efficient Boeing 737 aircraft.
