MASCOUTAH — The fuel consumed during air travel releases a large amount of carbon dioxide and other gases into the atmosphere, which can be a cause of concern for those traveling by air who are trying to live a more sustainable lifestyle. Now, passengers flying through MidAmerica St. Louis Airport can take advantage of a unique program that gives them the opportunity to offset the negative impact their air travel has on the environment.
MidAmerica Airport recently became a partner of The Good Traveler program, which makes it possible for passengers using the airport to make their trip more sustainable through something called carbon offsets – an official recognition of the reduction of one metric ton of carbon dioxide emissions. Essentially, passengers calculate the length of their trip, buy carbon offsets to cover the estimated emissions for that distance, and The Good Traveler Program invests the money in carbon reduction projects in communities across the country. These “carbon offset” projects are certified to offset the impact of air or road travel by keeping greenhouse gases out of the atmosphere somewhere else, often while doing something good like restoring wetland. Some projects are growing living things that capture carbon and others are preventing the greenhouse gases from escaping in the first place, by doing things like producing clean wind energy instead of coal-fired energy, or capturing the methane from landfills.
“As a new member of the Good Traveler program, we’re excited to provide options for passengers utilizing MidAmerica St. Louis Airport to offset the carbon impacts from their air travel,” said Airport Director Bryan Johnson. “We are always seeking innovative ways for MidAmerica to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and this program is a wonderful way to do that.”
For those flying to any of the 12 great destinations served by Allegiant from MidAmerica Airport, the cost of the carbon offsets for a round trip flight would be approximately $10 – $15. For example, the 2,800-mile round trip flight from MidAmerica Airport to Las Vegas would release 1,376 lbs. of carbon dioxide, which could be offset for just $14.
According to the latest numbers at www.thegoodtraveler.org, The Good Traveler is used by nearly 20 of the busiest and most climate-smart airports in the world and has helped airports and travelers reduce more than 86,000 metric tons of carbon.
“When passengers buy a carbon offset from The Good Traveler to go with their plane ticket, they are funding the efforts of people nationwide who are working to restore the climate balance, and that’s an initiative we’re proud to be a part of as we make this option available to those flying through MidAmerica Airport,” said St. Clair County Chairman Mark Kern.
To learn more about MidAmerica St. Louis Airport (BLV) and the Good Traveler Program, visit https://flymidamerica.com/ traveler/good-traveler- program/, or follow us on www.twitter.com/@maairport and www.facebook.com/midamericablv .
About MidAmerica St. Louis Airport
MidAmerica St. Louis Airport is located in Mascoutah, Illinois, in the eastern portion of the St. Louis metropolitan area. Passenger service to almost a dozen different destinations is offered by Allegiant. Major multimodal rail and inland port centers are located within 22 miles of the airport, which also enjoys easy access to five interstate highways via I-64. With parallel runways of 8,000 and 10,000 feet, the airport can handle simultaneous take-offs and landings in all conditions, minimizing delays. It has an annual capacity of 200,000 operations. Tenants include Boeing, which has a manufacturing facility at the airport; North Bay Produce, an international, grower-owned, year-round, fresh produce marketing and distribution cooperative headquartered in Traverse City, Mich., as well as AVMATS, a company providing alternatives for the support and maintenance of corporate aircraft, which has been operating at MidAmerica for many years. MidAmerica is a Joint Use Airport partnering with Scott AFB, the home to US Transportation Command, a multi service organization, and Air Mobility Command, the USAF’s component command for airlift. MidAmerica and the 375th Air Mobility Wing operate Scott AFB/MidAmerica St. Louis Airport.
About the Good Traveler Program
The Good Traveler was founded in 2015 by San Diego International Airport to offer travelers a quick and easy way to make their air travel more sustainable. Today, The Good Traveler is used by nearly 20 of the busiest and most climate-smart airports in the world and has helped airports and travelers reduce over 86,000 metric tons of carbon.
