SkyTeam has announced the winners of The Aviation Challenge 2025, its global initiative designed to accelerate sustainable innovation and knowledge sharing in the aviation industry. At an awards ceremony hosted by SAS in Copenhagen, Denmark, the global airline alliance honored achievements in driving sustainability progress across 18 categories.
The fourth edition of TAC brought together 22 participating airlines, including subsidiaries, affiliates and non-SkyTeam member airlines for the second year. Between 26 September and 26 October 2025, participants completed more than 80 showcase flights—the highest number to date—to test and demonstrate innovative solutions that help enable sustainability progress.
Overall, TAC 2025 showcase flights demonstrated:
- A 13.5% average improvement in CO₂ intensity (CO₂/RTK) compared to each participating airline’s own standard operations.
- A 12% reduction in CO₂ intensity compared to the industry average.
This was achieved through operational enhancements, such as route optimization practices, maintenance advancements, weight reduction initiatives and Sustainable Aviation Fuel (SAF) use.
“The Aviation Challenge 2025 centered on the theme of ‘Impact’—driving tangible, measurable results. We are proud of and inspired by the outcomes of this fourth edition, as well as the innovation and commitment shown by participating airlines. Congratulations to our 2025 winners for their efforts to help shape a more responsible future for aviation. Year after year, TAC continues to demonstrate the power of collective action in delivering meaningful progress”, said Patrick Roux, CEO SkyTeam.
«The Aviation Challenge shows how much progress can be unlocked when airlines collaborate on practical solutions that can be applied across the industry. As hosts in Copenhagen, we have seen how bringing leaders and operational teams together accelerates shared learning and tangible improvements across the alliance. This is how aviation advances—through collective effort rather than isolated initiatives», said Mads Brandstrup, SAS Senior Vice President Communication, Public Affairs and Sustainability.
A total of 224 solutions and initiatives were submitted for TAC 2025 awards. All entries were rigorously assessed against a comprehensive set of technical criteria by a panel of aviation and sustainability experts, including the Netherlands Aerospace Centre (NLR) and PA Consulting.
Awards were given across 18 categories, organized into four main groupings: direct impact, organizational transformation, leadership and inspiration. The award winners were selected by a jury of industry leaders from organizations including ACI World, Air Transport Action Group, Cargolux Airlines, EUROCONTROL, Fiskars Group and SimpliFlying.
Key highlights include:
- KLM Cityhopper’s 100% SAF ticket pilot, which embedded the full SAF surcharge into ticket prices to test customer acceptance and normalize SAF adoption.
- TUI introduced 3D printing of non-load bearing aircraft parts to reduce lead times and emissions.
- Air France replaced dry ice with reusable gel packs on short/medium‑haul flights from CDG to maintain cold chain without sublimation emissions.
The complete list of The Aviation Challenge 2025 winners and jury members is below.
DIRECT IMPACT AWARDS (By operational area)
Most Impactful Solution – Flight Operations: Air Europa implemented AI-driven climb optimization and dynamic flight planning, achieving measurable fuel and CO₂ savings.
Most Impactful Solution – Ground Operations: Scandinavian Airlines implemented advanced de-/anti-icing fluids and precision measuring tools to reduce glycol use, resulting in impactful and safety-critical improvements.
Most Impactful Solution – Cargo: Saudia’s transition from single-use nets to reusable alternatives reduced waste and lifecycle costs while maintaining operational safety.
Most Impactful Solution – MRO (Maintenance, Repair & Overhaul): Delta Air Lines scaled foam-based engine wash technology to replace water washes, improving fuel efficiency and achieving strong adoption across key stations.
Most Impactful Solution – Catering: Kenya Airways eliminated single-use plastic catering items across its entire network, replacing them with sustainable alternatives.
Most Impactful Solution – Inflight Products: Vietnam Airlines replaced single-use foam ice boxes with durable, reusable plastic containers…
