QUITO, Ecuador (August 22, 2008) – AeroGal, the premier airline flying to the Galapagos Islands, has received the Smart environmental certification. Smart Voyager is a program developed in collaboration with Rainforest Alliance that awards its seal of approval to operators meeting a set of strict conservation standards for protecting the environment, wildlife and the well-being of workers and local communities.
At the award ceremony, Gabriela Sommerfeld, AeroGal’s president, said that this certification is very important for the airline and for the country. “This is another initiative that AeroGal has undertaken as part of its commitment to our country and to sustainable tourism,” she said.
During the certification process, many aspects of AeroGal’s operation and policies were evaluated, including concern for the conservation of the environment, tourist information about conservation, waste management, quality control and the welfare and security of workers, guests and local communities.
Beyond certification, AeroGal has developed a complete and permanent plan to reduce and mitigate negative impacts in the environment by practicing the law of the 3 R’s, (reduce, reuse, recycle) and the treatment and adequate disposal of waste.
“This certification allows us to perform our environmental duties and to promote a proactive conservation attitude within our company. It has also taught us to make sustainability a practical concept that improves the way the commercial airline affects the environment, within a environmentally responsible framework,” explained Gonzalo Cisneros of AeroGal’s environmental management team.
From now on, their commitment to their customers, associates and to their country is to maintain and improve the standards. “We are the first airline in the world to carry this green seal. It is a further guarantee to our tourist customer who uses our services and who already knows our commitment to safety and reliability,” said Cisneros.
AeroGal is an Ecuadorian airline serving destinations within continental Ecuador and the Galapagos Islands. It also flies internationally to Colombia and will soon resume its flights to the United States.
