SkyTeam has announced the finalists across 18 award categories in the fourth edition of The Aviation Challenge (TAC), its global initiative designed to help accelerate sustainable innovation and knowledge sharing in the aviation industry.
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The 2025 theme, ‘Impact,’ underscores the program’s commitment to driving tangible, measurable results.
TAC welcomed 22 airline participants to its fourth competition, challenging them to develop and implement innovative solutions to advance sustainability in aviation. For the second year, The Aviation Challenge was opened to subsidiaries, affiliates and non-SkyTeam member airlines, reinforcing the program’s ambition to encourage change across the industry.
Between 26 September and 26 October 2025, participating airlines completed more than 80 showcase flights—the highest number to date. The showcase flight serves as a practical demonstration of innovative solutions that help enable sustainability progress, while the overall Challenge design encourages ongoing, organization-wide adoption of solutions. Collectively, participants submitted 224 solutions and initiatives for awards. Aligned with the ‘Impact’ theme, TAC 2025 emphasized measurable achievements in reducing carbon emissions, improving energy efficiency and optimizing waste management.
“Each year, The Aviation Challenge provides participating airlines with a platform to turn innovation into action and take practical steps toward sustainability. This fourth edition has been especially inspiring, with participants demonstrating determination, ingenuity and initiative throughout the Challenge. Their commitment was reflected in a record number of showcase flights. We congratulate all the airlines on their efforts to help shape a more responsible future for aviation,” said Patrick Roux, SkyTeam CEO.
All entries were rigorously assessed against a comprehensive set of technical criteria by a panel of aviation and sustainability experts, including the Netherlands Aerospace Centre (NLR) and PA Consulting. Finalists have been recognized across four main categories, each with subcategories acknowledging their achievements.
Highlights include:
Direct Impact Awards
This category recognizes effective solutions across key operational areas, including flight operations, ground operations, cargo, maintenance, catering and inflight products.
Shortlisted initiatives include: use of artificial intelligence (AI) to improve payload accuracy or climb optimization, replacement of single-use plastics in catering and optimization of potable water loading at outstations.
Organizational Transformation Awards
This category honors airlines that have made notable advancements in organizational capabilities across sustainability training,
Sustainable Aviation Fuel (SAF), procurement and data
Shortlisted initiatives include: adoption and scaling of SAF, training programs to build sustainability awareness and use of data to improve operational efficiency.
Leadership Awards
This category acknowledges airlines that have excelled in leadership, teamwork and collaboration. Within this focus area, TAC participants will select the winners for three subcategories through peer voting.
Shortlisted initiatives include: national SAF roadmaps and supply chains, emissions reduction initiatives and transformation of aviation waste into micro, small and medium enterprises (MSMEs).
Inspiration Awards
This category recognizes the best overall showcase flight, as well as distinction in storytelling and knowledge sharing.
Shortlisted initiatives include: Regional knowledge-sharing events and university collaborations, as well as storytelling around emissions reduction and waste management programs.
Finalist submissions are now being reviewed by a jury of 8 international experts in the fields of aviation and sustainability. The winners in each category will be announced at an awards event to be held in Copenhagen, Denmark from 20-22 January 2026, hosted by SAS.