The airline, Oman Air, has announced its switch from plastic wrapping to eco-friendly paper-based alternative for the packaging which its blankets and mattresses in premium cabins are delivered to its passengers in.

The company chose to make this change after seeing the benefits that switching would provide the airline and the environment, this included a reduction of an estimated 21.6 tons of plastic a year. This is an amazing breakthrough and highlights how this new initiative aligns with the company’s goals to use more environmentally friendly products and to keep reducing the use of plastic.

Captain Nasser bin Ahmed Salmi, acting chief executive officer at Oman Air, commented on this excellent step forwards, “In a concerted effort guided by our in-house experts and bolstered by collaborations with partners and vendors, we have successfully achieved another milestone in our sustainability efforts. This pivotal step aligns seamlessly with our corporate strategy to reduce waste and choose more environmentally friendly products, reflecting our commitment to national sustainability goals.”

The next steps for this airline are to look at slowly reducing single use plastics on board flights, starting with items such as the cutlery plastic sleeve and plastic water bottles. Oman Air has also started to replace 80% of its in-flight service carts with lightweight alternatives, which is another excellent step forwards as this change will boost fuel efficiency.