As practically the inventors of the word “sustainability”, the commercial fishing industry has a lot of respect for the efforts taken by the airline industry on environmental sustainability. In the United States specifically, companies such as American, Delta, Southwest and United have all publicly and proudly announced plans to achieve net-zero greenhouse gas emissions by 2050.

Their initiatives to reduce emissions are significant, from buying more fuel-efficient aircraft, transitioning to battery powered vehicles for ground transportation at the tarmac and improving their overall operational efficiencies. They are even trying to do the previously unimaginable by looking at electrifying their fleets.

With all their great ideas, they overlook one important aspect of their business – optimizing the sustainability of their in-flight offerings.

Fish on a plane – it's not scary, it’s sustainable

The in-flight menu has drastically changed since I first started flying, as airlines have needed to get creative to meet consumer trends. This includes the meals that are offered on longer-haul flights or in premium cabins. Most of those meals include a fairly standard offering: vegetables or salad, a meat entree, bread and a dessert. With changes in consumer preference, some airlines have even explored adding plant-based meals to their available options.

But as we know, consumers will constantly seek proteins for their meals, and that continues to be a drag on our environment. With a third of our planet’s arable land used for livestock farming, which contributes to more than 15% of the planet's total greenhouse emissions, the airlines have an opportunity to address the in-cabin environmental impact as well.

So where to turn for more environmentally friendly protein? Innovation can also occur by looking at the options that have been available for centuries, long before the Wright brothers changed the game. To play on Samuel L Jackson’s smashing hit, ‘Snakes on a Plane,” it’s time for the airlines to get "Fish on a Plane."

Although meat products take up much of the menu space in in-flight meals, there are flights that do include fish from time to time. The type of fish can vary, with salmon as a top seller, and I even had a delicious cod dish on a recent flight to South America. However, I think the airlines can do better than salmon and cod. We need to get more of the right type of our fish on our planes – wild Alaska pollock.

Wild Alaska pollock

Wild Alaska pollock can unlock value on in-flight menus by delighting guests, helping the airlines’ wallets and importantly, helping the planet. The raw material behind McDonald’s Filet-O-Fish, wild Alaska pollock, is one of the world’s most climate-friendly proteins. Wild Alaska pollock as a protein source has been proven to leave a much smaller and sustainable footprint than the farming and distribution of beef, pork, chicken and even tofu.

Importantly, wild Alaskan pollock requires zero gallons of freshwater to produce 3.5 ounces of food. In contrast, to produce the same amount of beef, over 750 gallons of water is needed. Overall, every pound of wild Alaska pollock product accounts for roughly 2.2-2.3 pounds of carbon dioxide equivalent, while one pound of beef accounts for 130 pounds of carbon dioxide equivalent in the atmosphere. For an everyday perspective, beef burgers produce more than 200 pounds carbon dioxide equivalent, compared to 1.8 pounds of carbon dioxide equivalent for wild Alaska pollock fish sandwiches. Notably, this industry uses every part of the fish so that nothing goes to waste.

Wild Alaska pollock is a great airline food as it is easily transportable and can stay fresh longer than other proteins. Importantly, wild Alaska pollock is extremely cost effective, especially compared to higher-end species like salmon and tuna, but does not sacrifice on taste. For perspective, a pound of salmon at retail costs more than $8, compared to as low as $2 for wild Alaska pollock.

Furthermore, to further enhance the cost effectiveness and resource utilization of wild Alaska pollock, the airlines can have 100% control of the size of the portion. Traditionally, one of the challenges for airlines using fish in their in-flight menus has been a result of oddly shaped fillets, which makes it difficult to achieve the right portion and weight per serving. Wild Alaska pollock avoid these challenges, as the fish are cut from a square block.

I commend the airlines for their efforts to date, but it is essential to continue to push the boundaries both inside and outside the airplane cabin. Let’s look to add more fish on in-flight menus, and add the right, most cost-efficient and environmentally friendly options for customers who will appreciate the efforts … and respond with their wallets.