Airlines are moving to extend environmental, social, and governance (ESG) accountability into their broader supply chains through a new framework aimed at standardising sustainable hotel procurement for commercial carriers.
The International Air Transport Association (IATA) and the World Sustainable Hospitality Alliance (WSHA) recently signed a joint agreement at the World Sustainability Symposium to create unified sustainability standards for airlines procuring hotel accommodation for crew and operational staff.
Both sectors face rising expectations around environmental management, supply chain performance, and complex ESG reporting. These cover responsible procurement, environmental management, social responsibility, supply-chain performance, and increasingly complex expectations for sustainability measurement and reporting.
Under the agreement, the two organisations will develop practical procurement guidelines connecting IATA’s Integrated Sustainability Programme (ISP) with WSHA’s Universal Sustainability KPIs Programme.
The guidelines will introduce standardised evaluation criteria for hotel tenders, outline ESG contracting requirements, and share best practice case studies.
“Airlines’ sustainability performance includes many partners that support their operations,” said Marie Owens Thomsen, IATA senior vice president sustainability and chief economist.
“This collaboration will strengthen the ISP by connecting airline procurement priorities with the hospitality sector’s expertise and experience. The result will be stronger supplier engagement and better-informed procurement decisions that advance sustainability across the travel value chain,” she added.
Glenn Mandziuk, WSHA president and CEO, noted that cross-sector alignment is essential to eliminate fragmented reporting standards across the aviation and hospitality industries.
“Sustainability across the travel ecosystem cannot be achieved in silos. By joining forces with IATA, we are bridging the gap between aviation and hospitality to establish unified, practical standards for hotel procurement,” said Mandziuk.
He added: “By joining forces with IATA, we are bridging the gap between aviation and hospitality to establish unified, practical standards for hotel procurement. This partnership empowers airlines and hotels alike to move beyond fragmented reporting, driving meaningful, measurable environmental and social impact across the entire travel value chain.”
Potential longer-term areas of cooperation between IATA and WSHA will focus on resource efficiency, plastic and waste reduction, climate resilience, community engagement, and human rights.
Both organisations may also explore how closer airline-hotel cooperation could support sustainability outcomes at destination level and across the broader corporate and leisure travel value chains.
IATA represents more than 370 airlines, accounting for roughly 85% of global air traffic.
