Eswatini Air, a local carrier and subsidiary of Royal Eswatini National Airways Corporation (RENAC), has taken an important initiative to contribute towards the protection of the environment by joining the IATA CO2 Connect.
IATA CO2 Connect is a nonbinding International Air Transport Association (IATA)’s global carbon emissions calculation platform that enables airlines to provide accurate passenger carbon emissions information using actual operational fuel burn data and an internationally standardized methodology.
The airline officially signed the participation agreement during the IATA Focus Africa Conference in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, in April 2026 where it was represented by Director Commercial Getaneh Woldemichael. 
RENAC Group Chief Executive Officer Captain President Dhlamini said this meant the airline would voluntarily report its carbon emissions as a contribution to the reduction of green air gases.
“The reporting shows that you are responsible corporate citizen and you have to show what is being done to reduce green air gases,” he said.
He made an example with the King Mswati III International airport shuttle whereby it carries 15 people which meant one vehicle travelled to the airport instead of 15 cars.
“This means we are committed to reducing green air gases,” said Capt. Dhlamini.
Eswatini Air General Manager Ndumiso Shongwe said joining IATA CO2 Connect was part of the airline’s commitment to environmental sustainability and alignment with global aviation best practice.
Shongwe further mentioned that Eswatini Air achieved this milestone without any participating experience in the Carbon Offsetting and Reduction Scheme for International Aviation (CORSIA) “demonstrating the airline’s capability to adopt internationally recognized sustainability initiatives amongst other major African carriers”.
He said the benefits of the IATA CO2 Connect membership were that the airline’s corporate reputation and stakeholder confidence would be enhanced through internationally recognised emissions reporting,
as well as a recognised sustainability platform to strengthen the airline’s marketing, commercial positioning and corporate brand.
Other benefits include strengthened Environmental, Social and Governance (ESG) profile and sustainability credentials, credible carbon emissions data to support customer,
corporate and industry sustainability expectations and contribution to data-driven fuel efficiency initiatives that contribute to operational cost savings and reduced environmental impact,
established foundation for future environmental reporting requirements,
including evolving global sustainability frameworks, and supported data-driven fuel efficiency initiatives that contribute to operational cost savings and reduced environmental impact.
To maximise the value of this membership, the local carrier would maintain timely and accurate submission of operational fuel burn data to IATA, promote its participation in corporate communications,
customer engagement and marketing initiatives, leverage CO2 Connect data to support fuel efficiency initiatives or fuel burn reduction strategies for cost reduction and environmental performance targets, and continue monitoring international sustainability developments, including CORSIA and other emerging environmental sustainability requirements..
IATA is an international trade organization, created over 80 years ago by a group of airlines.
It represents airlines comprising over 80 percent of global air traffic.
The organization also represents, leads and serves the airline industry in general.
The organisation is committed to driving sustainability by implementing the best practices that minimize impact on the environment and add social value.
