View from the cockpit

Rafael Lopez, CEO at Flyschool in Spain discusses how he worked with Air bp to offset carbon emissions from his flight school operations.

Can you tell us a bit about Flyschool?

Our training academies are based in Madrid and Mallorca in Spain and we offer a range of pilot and cabin crew training courses. We also operate our own maintenance centre at Cassarrubios del Monte aerodrome. 

How many aircraft do you have in your fleet?

Currently, the school has 20 aircraft and five flight simulators in operation. We also have several locations at each of our bases where theory classes are taught, administration is managed and aircraft maintenance is carried out.  

As a flight training academy how do you balance your aircraft operations with your sustainability targets?

We have been modernising our entire fleet of aircraft since 2020. This includes equipping aircraft with energy-efficient engines, recycled components and using renewable energy where possible across our operations. Earlier this year we also worked with Air bp as our fuelling partner to offset any residual emissions from our operations. 

How did you work with Air bp to offset your emissions?

Initially, we had to calculate our scope 1, 2 and 3 emissions (which includes both those in our direct and indirect control), which we did with Climate Partners. Once this figure was established, we were able to purchase carbon credits through Air bp in what is believed to be the first offsetting services agreement between bp Spain and a professional flying academy. We believe that when our carbon credits are retired, we will offset all the CO₂ emissions produced annually during the pilot training process. 

How were your carbon emissions calculated?

To determine the total tonnes emitted per year, Climate Partners calculated the emissions under Scope 1, 2 and 3 of all the bases that Flyschool operates across Madrid and Mallorca.  

What sort of projects have Flyschool’s carbon credits been invested in?

As well as providing offsetting services to Flyschool, Air bp has purchased and retired carbon credits, through bp Target Neutral, from selected projects on our behalf. These range from projects that use technology to remove or avoid carbon emissions, such as landfill gas capture projects that collect methane and flare it to generate electricity for the local grid, to domestic projects such as efficient cookstoves, renewable energy projects and nature-based projects including afforestation.

How important is it to know that the carbon credits you have purchased are from projects with independent third-party verification?

This independent evaluation process, managed by registries like VERRA and UN Clean Development Mechanism (CDM) is critical for us in terms of verifying the integrity of registered projects and the associated offsets created by the project. It is reassuring to know that each carbon offset project in bp Target Neutral’s portfolio has been verified by accredited third-party companies against the applicable offset project standard. Carbon registries require project developers to use independent auditors who are qualified and approved by the registry to evaluate projects against program rules and requirements. 

How can you be sure carbon credits are not reused?

The registries assign a serial number and record ownership of each verified carbon credit. Once claimed as an emission offset, the owner of the carbon credit retires the serial number in a publicly available registry so that the credit cannot be resold or reused.  

How will you continue to embrace sustainability within your operations? 

Flyschool's intention is to continue implementing improvement measures for climate conservation, avoiding the effects of climate change and also preserving the health of staff and students.

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