TRM Howest and its Flemish sister programs, catering company Gate Gourmet (see below) and Thomas Cook Airlines Belgium, did some brainstorming at Zaventem on Friday January 13 about how the catering and aviation industries could boost sustainability in aviation.The session taking place under the aegis of Malines-based non-profit organization Living Stone Dialoog looked into some very concrete measures to e.g. reduce waste from international flights.Gate Gourmet and Thomas Cook Airlines Belgium are undeniably both putting in praiseworthy efforts to make flying more environment-friendly. They admit, however, that a considerable distance still has to be run.For education and industry, sustainability is an extremely hot issue both instances are eager to tackle but maybe it’s time the public at large and most notably policymakers start making bolder claims in this respect. The impression was that European legislation, too, could take further and more rational steps toward an increased sustainability in aviation.
author: Dominique Vansteenkiste,
lecturer English and member of the team Toerisme en recreatiemanagement at Howest
Howesttravel 