As part of its efforts to improve reliability and minimize carbon emissions, Royal Mail has successfully halved its domestic flight operations in line with its target announced last July.
In total, Royal Mail has discontinued 18 domestic flights, saving approximately 30,000 metric tons of carbon dioxide equivalent per year and marking a significant step forward in achieving its net zero target by 2040.
Alistair Cochrane, chief operating officer at Royal Mail, commented, “This is about delivering for the future. By moving away from air freight, we’re making Royal Mail greener, more efficient, and ready for the long term.”
The planes will be replaced by road vehicles which are both better for the environment and more reliable, according to the postal operator. In recent years, Royal Mail has invested significantly in its road fleet with its heavy goods vehicles (HGVs) now partly running on hydrotreated vegetable oil (HVO), which reduces direct greenhouse gas emissions by up to 90% compared to diesel. The company also operates the UK’s largest electric delivery fleet, with over 6,000 electric vehicles.
The only domestic flights that will remain are those that are essential for Royal Mail to fulfil its universal service obligation, providing a next day delivery service to all 32 million addresses in the UK.