Aviation News - June 2016

all 19-seaters. Pilots were initially trained

in South Africa, but in-house tuition is now

provided by Nature Air’s own flight school. A

couple of Czech engineers currently oversee

the maintenance on the highly regarded L

410s.

CARBON NEUTRAL

In 2004, Khajavi turned Nature Air into the

world’s first 100% carbon-neutral airline

and since then his team has worked to

improve its flight plans and operations in

order to conserve more fuel. By 2010 the

fuel efficiency per hour of flight had improved

by roughly 7% since the start of operations.

These efforts have also resulted in an

impressive 92% on-time performance rate.

Other environmentally friendly efforts

include the use of locally produced bio-fuel for

company vehicles, bus transport for workers

and an emphasis on recycling. Nature Air

became carbon neutral by offsetting carbon

releases from its flying through donating

fees from each flight to the government

department FONAFIFO (Fondo Nacional

De Financiamiento Forestal de Costa Rica),

which forwards the payments to farmers in

the south of the country to fund reforestation

and conservation.

The airline has a sister company, Nature

Air Vacations, which combines air travel with

special deals for hotels and lodgings in Costa

Rica. Working with the Rainforest Alliance,

Small Distinctive Hotels and other boutique

hotels, the company has created more than

30 three-night ‘paquetes’ that include flights,

ground transfers and accommodation.

The airline has won awards from the

Rainforest Alliance, the National Geographic

Society and also the ‘Tourism for Tomorrow

Conservation Award’ from the World Tourism

& Travel Council. In recognition of its

educational programmes, the airline won

the first prize (in the airlines category) of the

World Savers Awards (2010) by Condé Nast

Traveller.

ROUTES

Since 2000 Nature Air has grown from 18,000

passengers annually to more than 140,000

in 2012. Prior to the arrival of the L 410s,

the airline’s capacity was 160,000 seats per

year. It is now 200,000 and current load

factors average 60%. On December 1, 2013

Nature Air’s entire operation comprising 74

daily flights to 15 destinations was switched

from the smaller San José airport of Tobías

50 Aviation News incorporating Classic Aircraft June 2016

A Nature Air L 410 UVP-E20 climbs out from

Juan Santamaría International Airport in

San José. On the ramp are four Cessna

208 Caravans of Sansa Airlines and jets

belonging to Aeroméxico, American Airlines

and Copa Airlines. Tom Singfield

Alexandro Soto’s artwork on TI-BGQ depicts

a vision of a street in Granada, Nicaragua,

cleverly incorporating the main passenger

entrance into the design. Tom Singfield

48-51_nature.JR.mf.indd 50 28/04/2016 17:34