Sustainability in aviation is essential, but it is also complex. Across the industry, companies are under pressure to demonstrate measurable progress. Yet despite good intentions, many initiatives remain fragmented. Overlapping frameworks, inconsistent reporting, and unclear benchmarks make it difficult to turn ambition into tangible results.
Airlines, airports, and ground handlers all share the same goal: a more sustainable future for aviation. Without a common structure, progress often loses momentum and credibility. Operationally, fragmented systems lead to redundant processes, inconsistent data, and reporting fatigue as teams manage multiple ESG (Environment, Social, Governance) and regulatory requirements. Environmentally, the lack of coordination results in missed opportunities for impact. Efforts to reduce emissions, manage waste, or improve procurement practices are often disconnected, limiting their effectiveness.
These challenges create a widening gap between ambition and achievement. Resources become stretched, and progress slows across organizations. Over time, this erodes confidence among regulators, investors, and passengers who expect transparency and accountability.
As ESG expectations rise, aviation organizations need more than isolated programs. They need a unified approach that makes sustainability a core part of business strategy.
To achieve this, organizations must:
Meaningful progress depends on reliable data, clear benchmarks, and independent verification. The industry needs a structure that supports efficiency while delivering measurable environmental and social results.
To address this need, IATA developed the Integrated Sustainability Program (ISP). The program offers a comprehensive, ISO-compatible framework that helps organizations embed sustainability into operations, set credible targets, and report progress with confidence.
Built on the foundation of IATA’s IEnvA Program, ISP expands the scope of sustainability across four key components:
Together, these modules provide a measurable and scalable path toward integrated sustainability. Each organization can tailor its journey based on its maturity, resources, and goals.
The ISP framework was piloted across dozens of aviation organizations worldwide. This collaboration ensures the program reflects the realities of the industry, including the need to balance sustainability objectives with efficiency, safety, and cost.
Through ISP, organizations are co-creating tools and standards that make sustainability more achievable across the value chain. By connecting efforts, the industry can accelerate progress more effectively than any single company could on its own.
Collaboration lies at the heart of ISP. It enables the aviation community to move from isolated initiatives to collective solutions that deliver measurable impact and strengthen the industry’s long-term resilience.
The Integrated Sustainability Program (ISP) represents a new chapter in aviation’s sustainability journey. It brings together structure, collaboration, and accountability to drive meaningful progress. As expectations grow, ISP provides a trusted foundation that allows aviation organizations to demonstrate leadership through credible and transparent results.
To learn how the framework can support your organization’s sustainability goals, download IATA’s ISP Guide.
