Pakistan Times, 12 March 2008.

LAHORE: AirBlue, the fastest growing and the first environment friendly airline of Pakistan has taken the initiative and started its ‘Green Revolution’ in Lahore with a goal to plant more than 1 million trees throughout Pakistan this year.

The airlines, nearly four years old, has now turned its focus to the corporate

socialresponsibility of making Pakistan a cleaner and greener place for the present and future generations – to live in.

AirBlue Managing Director, Syed Nasir Ali and Mr.Raja Muhammad Abbas, Director General, Parks and Horticulture Authority, today planted a tree each to launch the airblue Tree Plantation campaign at Jillani Park (Former Race Course Park) Lahore.

The ceremony was attended by officers of Parks and Horticulture Authority, senior management or airblue and media personnel.

Director General, Parks and Horticulture Authority, Mr.Raja Muhammad Abbas, lauded the effort of airblue in the display of the corporate social responsibility of planting trees. He stated that other organizations should take up this responsibility and should plant more trees in the country.

The DG also emphasized that global warming is an international issue and everyone citizen should do contribute in their own way.

Syed Nasir Ali, MD AirBlue recalled that Airblue had launched the Nationwide Tree Plantation in Karachi last year by adopting a park, known as Sarwar Hassan Triangle at the PIIA building near the Karachi Press Club.

Airblue is the first airline to have adopted such a park in Pakistan and look after its up-keep as a part of its ‘Green Revolution’.

Aviation in the current times transports over 2 billion passengers annually around the world. Over 900 airlines of the world with a fleet of 22,000 aircrafts are responsible for towards generating green house gases thus polluting the environment. Although today’s aircrafts are 70% more fuel efficient than they were 40 years ago but they still contribute by 2% to the global warming.

Mr.Ali further emphasized that efforts are required by more and more organizations, particularly airlines to help build a green and healthy environment for the generations to come. Airlines in the next 50 years are expected to contribute upto 3% emissions containing CO2, H2O and NO.

MD AirBlue said that aircraft manufacturers today devote upto 15% of turnover to research for making better and environment friendly aircrafts for the future.

As a part of airblue’s Green Revolution, airblue would be planting 200,000 trees in selective schools in Pakistan to help cultivate a culture of care and environmental concern among the future youth.

The air transport industry, world-wide, generates 6.7 million direct jobs to eliminate poverty and boost economic conditions, but bears the responsibility to ensure the world remains a clean place for all to live in, said MD AirBlue, Syed Nasir Ali. #