Emirates Group Takes Off with Sustainable Initiatives at ‘Tomorrow Takes Flight’ Event

The Emirates Group showcased its commitment to sustainability at the ‘Tomorrow Takes Flight’ event, an annual showcase highlighting the organisation’s efforts to align with the UN’s call to end plastic pollution. The event demonstrated Emirates’ and dnata’s initiatives to promote ‘Responsible Consumption’ by sourcing, reusing, repurposing, and reducing plastic and other materials.

This year’s exhibition highlighted projects making a real difference across the organisation, including collaborations across departments such as engineering, catering, cargo, airport operations, travel, and service delivery, among others. Attendees heard from staff involved in advancing environmentally responsible practices, with presentations from Emirates Engineering, Flight Operations, Service Delivery, Emirates SkyCargo, dnata Technical Services, and industry partners like the University of Cambridge, the UAE GCAA, Airbus, Boeing, ENOC, Cobus Industries, TLD, Mallaghan, GE Aerospace, Rolls-Royce, and Dubai Airports.

Speaking at the opening of ‘Tomorrow Takes Flight’, Adel Al Redha, Emirates’ Deputy President & Chief Operations Officer, said, “Today's event celebrates our sustainability journey while educating and inspiring our people through the showcased initiatives and meaningful discussions on sustainable practices. Environmental responsibility is essential to achieving our objectives as an airline and as an industry, and it supports the UAE's Net Zero 2050 Strategy."

"With governments and communities demanding meaningful action, collective responsibility across the entire ecosystem is vital. Emirates is making progress with emissions reduction projects across our operations, and we’re actively pursuing programmes that conserve resources through recycling and responsible sourcing. Collaboration with industry partners will be crucial in the years ahead to enhance the recyclability of materials across the supply chain."

He emphasised, "We’re also encouraging our teams to build on the success of existing initiatives and push boundaries to develop new approaches that address the full spectrum of operational waste, and today is a great example of these drives. From cabin materials and catering to ground operations and maintenance, every touchpoint presents an opportunity to minimise environmental impact.”

Steve Allen, dnata’s CEO, added, “Sustainability is a fundamental part of how we operate as a global business. It shapes the decisions we make, the investments we prioritise, and the standards we set for ourselves and our partners. We are driving progress through action: investing in renewable energy infrastructure at our facilities, accelerating the shift to electric ground support equipment, and collaborating with alternative fuel suppliers to lower emissions. At the same time, we’re tackling food waste, promoting responsible consumption, and expanding recycling programmes as part of a broader shift toward circular resource management."

He continued, “These initiatives are united by a clear ambition: to grow responsibly while delivering meaningful, lasting impact. This commitment is reflected in our team's innovative, creative solutions and community partnerships, extending our efforts well beyond our core operations. It was a pleasure to highlight dnata’s initiatives to colleagues and partners through this unique event - a great opportunity to celebrate progress, share ideas, and strengthen the sense of purpose behind our sustainability journey.”

Highlights of the event included:

• The next phase of ‘Aircrafted by Emirates’, transforming retired aircraft parts into functional art using metals and composite materials.
• Service Delivery teams showcasing onboard products made from recycled or alternative materials.
• Plastic clean-up efforts at the Dubai Desert Conservation Reserve.
• An interactive display about Emirates Flight Catering’s biodigester.
• Tasting samples of sustainable food from MMI, Emirates Leisure Retail, dnata Catering & Retail, and Emirates Flight Catering.
• dnata’s global sustainability projects, including planting-based packaging and waste minimisation, recycling efforts by dnata Cargo, and lounge initiatives to reduce food waste.
• Initiatives from dnata Travel, such as a river interceptor in Sri Lanka to prevent ocean pollution and the distribution of reusable items to employees, advocating responsible consumption.
• Partner organisations like Ecyclex and Reloop, demonstrating waste recycling, including e-waste, with dedicated drop-off points for employees.
• Falcon Aircraft Recycling presenting products crafted from recycled aircraft parts, and Dubai Can showcasing progress on Dubai Reef — the world’s largest dedicated reef development.
• The UN Global Compact sharing principles around sustainability, SDGs, and this year’s theme to #beatplasticpollution.
• Dubai Airports illustrating how innovation and collaboration are reducing waste across airport operations.

Throughout the day, employees participated in quizzes, games, booth challenges, and interactive activities, with chances to win prizes. Prior to the event, staff were encouraged to contribute to the ‘Bottle Wall’ — bottles collected and upcycled into personalised plant pots for staff to take home as part of the ‘Tomorrow Takes Flight’ challenge.