The air sample data furnished by the airlines cannot be collected by satellites or by ground-based weather stations. Iberia corporate development manager Sergio Turrión said “our participation in the IAGOS project is an example of Iberia’s major contributions to environmental protection, which includes the incorporation of cleaner aircraft and numerous initiatives to reduce harmful emissions and put our business on an increasingly sustainable footing.”  

Also participating in the IAGOS project are Lufthansa, China Airlines, Cathay Pacific and Air France. Iberia was chosen because of its prominence on Europe-Latin America routes. In recent year Iberia’s environmental policies have rested on three main pillars: 

Fleet replacement, new and more efficient aircraft have been key in reducing the airline’s carbon dioxide emissions by 5% since 2009. The company is also actively involved in research projects aimed at obtaining alternative aviation fuel, including one based on microalgae. 

Initiatives in daily operations to cut fuel consumption and atmospheric emissions, by reducing the laden weight of aircraft, optimizing routes and cruising speeds, etc.

Customer-based initiatives, such as the CO2 calculator application, which informs customers of the magnitude off their “carbon footprint” as passengers on a given flight, and invites them to offset it by contributing to reforestation projects.