Coastal Aviation Launches FLY GREEN Initiative
Coastal Aviation, the Flying Safari Company, today launched a Go Green initiative dubbed Fly Green, Fly Coastal to promote sustainable tourism and becoming an environmentally friendly company that is much more ecologically responsible.
Coastal started operating in 1989 as an inbound operator offering “Personalized Safaris & Air Charters" to the tourism market, a fledgling industry then. This present day, Coastal Aviation operates more than 25 aircraft, to some of the most remote locations within Tanzania and Eastern Africa, safely connecting international gateways to the Serengeti and Northern Parks, to the Selous or Ruaha (in the South) or even further afield to Kenya and Rwanda, and then rounding off with connections to the tropical island paradises of Pemba, Zanzibar, Mafia and Fanjove Private Island.
"Today is our first official attempt to indulge in ecological tourism. We want to promote and encourage a cleaner, safer environment, to create less pollution and reduced carbon footprint. We want to pioneer and lead initiatives that show our increasing responsibility to our environment and homeland." explained Shaf Syed, Managing Director Coastal Aviation in a trade webinar held last week Thursday.
He continued to say that "As a Safari Company we’ve been generating a staggering 16,000 single-use plastic bottles every month! We have taken feedback from many of our customers who really want us to change our game. So we have finally decided to embark on our Go Green journey, underpinned with three pillars – (1) Developing impactful relationships for the bigger picture, (2) refreshing our corporate responsibilities and (3) inspiring all our people to accept individual responsibility and take personal action."
In an attempt to create momentum around the Fly Green initiative, Coastal Aviation is partnering with three entities to develop three different facets of that effort: -
· Carbon Tanzania provide carbon offset capabilities to help passengers balance their share of flight emissions.
· The Kilimanjaro Project is committed to re-greening Kilimanjaro by growing trees in and around the 7 districts that surround the mountain. Under the banner of "Tuje Pamoja", individual action is stimulated to spur community engagement. It is soul satisfying to plant trees and see barren landscapes, once more transform into luscious green foliage, whilst attracting all the associated bio-diversity.
· WildAid complete the trio of Coastal’s partners, with the valiant aim to stop illegal wildlife trade, poaching, to reduce consumption of wildlife products whilst increasing local support for conservation efforts
For Coastal’s own part, the company is looking to substantially reduce the amount of plastic usage generated by no longer offering single-use water bottles for its passengers. Instead, customers will be encouraged to fill and refill their own water bottles at dispensers available at the major Coastal airports. For those that don’t have such bottles, Coastal will be more than happy to sell metal water bottles. (We will continue to carry limited emergency supplies onboard the aircraft though, for obvious reasons!)
None of this is possible, without individual effort and we have ear marked internal company initiatives to inspire action.
The Go Green campaign kicks off from 1st August 2019. Everyone flying with Coastal Aviation is welcome to support and even better, actively engage in this “environmental journey”. Together, we can make a difference to our world, so that perhaps we will leave a cleaner environment, protect the beauty of Mother Tanzania for the generations to come.
