EgyptAir's first green flight aims to cut down on single-use plastics

In a bid to show its commitment to the fight against climate change, Egyptian national carrier EgyptAir will operate Africa’s first “green flight” on Saturday.

Set to take off from Cairo and land in Paris, flight 799 will "offer environmentally friendly products and services”, said EgyptAir. The flight marks the launch of a new programme called “Green Service Flight”, which will operate more green flights in the future.

The decision was taken at the government’s behest. The country’s civil aviation minister, Mohamed Manar, lauded the effort, saying the launch is in line with Egypt’s Vision 2030, which aims to prioritise sustainability.

He stressed that the Egyptian civil aviation sector attaches great importance to confronting the effects of climate change.

Amr Abol-Enein, chairman of the holding company for EgyptAir, said that the airline will use the flight as a way to raise awareness of the dangers of single-use plastics.

The national carrier is aiming to reduce single-use plastics on board its flights by 90 per cent.

Abol-Enein said that as a start, 27 products on board the flight, which had previously been made of single-use plastic, have been replaced with more sustainable alternatives.

Furthermore, a new logo has been designed to signify that a flight, product or service is environmentally friendly.

To mark the event, EgyptAir announced it would offer a 40 per cent discount on tickets for Saturday’s flight.

The specs

Engine: 3.9-litre twin-turbo V8
Power: 640hp
Torque: 760nm
On sale: 2026
Price: Not announced yet

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if you go

The flights Fly Dubai, Air Arabia, Emirates, Etihad, and Royal Jordanian all offer direct, three-and-a-half-hour flights from the UAE to the Jordanian capital Amman. Alternatively, from June Fly Dubai will offer a new direct service from Dubai to Aqaba in the south of the country. See the airlines’ respective sites for varying prices or search on reliable price-comparison site Skyscanner.

The trip

Jamie Lafferty was a guest of the Jordan Tourist Board. For more information on adventure tourism in Jordan see Visit Jordan. A number of new and established tour companies offer the chance to go caving, rock-climbing, canyoning, and mountaineering in Jordan. Prices vary depending on how many activities you want to do and how many days you plan to stay in the country. Among the leaders are Terhaal, who offer a two-day canyoning trip from Dh845 per person. If you really want to push your limits, contact the Stronger Team. For a more trek-focused trip, KE Adventure offers an eight-day trip from Dh5,300 per person.

SPECS

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