Returning to the airline industry after several years dedicated to sustainable tourism, Victoria Morin is taking a direct approach to decarbonizing air transport. Appointed head of sustainable development at Transavia, she is calling on the entire tourism sector, including agencies and tour operators, to commit to sustainable fuels. According to the trade press, her message marks a significant step in how the industry is addressing the energy transition.
A return to aviation to change scale
Formerly a marketing manager at Etihad, Victoria Morin left the airline industry in 2019 to dedicate herself fully to sustainable tourism, notably through facilitating the Climate Fresk workshop and creating the Tourism Fresk workshop. Five years later, she returns to the airline industry in a strategic role at Transavia.
This choice is not a betrayal, but a deliberate decision to act on a larger scale. “The orders of magnitude are not the same: when you're working with major players like an airline, every victory has a huge impact. As a travel enthusiast, I wanted to work to minimize its impact as much as possible. I'm finding an industry that has changed and progressed dramatically on these issues. It's aware and extremely eager to take action, even though it faces an immense challenge: decarbonization. This position isn't about the company or the group trying to make itself look good; we need to get that idea out of our heads. We don't take this issue lightly. We are all citizens, and we are committed to reducing our impact,” Victoria Morin clarifies.
A topic that has become central at Transavia
Within the Air France-KLM group, the roadmap is clearly defined. The objective is to reduce emissions per passenger-kilometer by 30% by 2030 compared to 2019. At the aviation sector level, the stated ambition is a reduction of nearly 80% in emissions by 2050.
The role of the sustainable development manager is cross-functional. “It involves leading the carrier's sustainable development strategy. The first pillar of this strategy is decarbonization. The second is reducing our other impacts, such as noise and waste. The third is engaging employees in this movement, so that everyone can take ownership of the actions and understand the issues related to their core business. Finally, the fourth is launching longer-term, more transformative projects, such as adapting to climate change or exploring the changing perceptions of travel.”
This approach is also reflected in the company's communication. The latest campaign, known as the "green drift," promotes a different way of traveling: "one that values anticipation. Travel is not simply about consumption, but should be an exceptional and rare experience."
Internally, the issue is treated as strategic. "It's a very strategic issue for the airline industry and, to be perfectly honest, I report directly to the company's general secretary: that shows the level of commitment and importance. We are listened to at the highest levels internally, so that they can raise these issues to even higher levels," continues Victoria Morin.
Decarbonization: levers already activated
At Transavia, several initiatives are already underway. Fleet renewal is one of the major levers, with an estimated 15% reduction in emissions. Last year, the carrier's carbon intensity decreased by 3.4%. Efforts also focus on eco-piloting, route optimization, aircraft weight reduction, and the involvement of all departments.
But the central focus remains sustainable fuels. “Among the ongoing projects, the most important is accelerating our decarbonization, an extremely complex and challenging undertaking. This approach rests on three pillars, none of which can be neglected. Fleet renewal, which will be completed by 2030, is one of them. This is complemented by operational measures such as eco-piloting, trajectory optimization, and aircraft weight reduction. The third pillar, which will become a priority once the fleet is fully renewed, concerns sustainable fuels, or SAFs. The scale of this project is such that none of these pillars can be ignored.”
Sustainable fuel, an economic barrier
Since 2022, France has been encouraging the incorporation of sustainable aviation fuels. Since January 1,2025 , a European regulation requires suppliers to integrate at least 2% SAF (Sustainable Aviation Fuel) into the kerosene destined for European airports. This rate is then set to increase to 6% in 2030, 20% in 2035, and 70% in 2050, including 5% e-fuel from 2035 onwards.
At the last general meeting of BAR France, Willie Walsh, Director General of IATA, expressed his concerns bluntly: "We are not seeing any progress in SAF production. We are very behind; I have always thought that European ambition was out of reach."
For Victoria Morin, the issue is not solely industrial, but economic. “The reality today is that SAF costs three to five times the price of kerosene. We are doing our part, but this is a collective issue; it's not unique to Transavia or airlines. All tourism stakeholders, from promoters to travel agencies, have a vested interest in seeing aviation decarbonized, so it's an industry-wide issue.”
By 2028, TotalEnergies expects to produce 500,000 tonnes of SAF in France. While this figure may seem significant, it remains very limited compared to European needs projected for 2050, as reported by the specialized press.
She also warns of the consequences for business models, particularly low-cost carriers. "We must also be realistic; we cannot indefinitely absorb this additional cost. If we want to continue to travel responsibly and at reasonable prices in the future, we must collectively address this issue."
A direct appeal to tourism professionals
For Transavia's head of sustainable development, the solution lies in collective awareness. "To preserve this world, which is our playground, we have no other choice but to massively decarbonize our economy. And the most technologically advanced solution currently available is sustainable fuel. Our main challenge is to raise awareness among tourism professionals about Sustainable Fuel Analysis (SFA), so that they ultimately offer, as they have done with carbon offsetting solutions, a decarbonization solution: the purchase of sustainable fuel for their clients. The industry could also allocate a budget for this at each event, such as conferences, familiarization trips, or even for employee travel. The solutions exist; all that's missing is awareness and a sense of responsibility."
Sources
Regulation (EU) 2023/2405 – ReFuelEU Aviation
https://www.tourmag.com/Carburant-durable-C-est-l-affaire-de-tous–agences-et-voyagistes-compris-_a130376.html
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