Left – Volotea A320 aircraft. Right – 280 Earth Direct Air Capture (DAC) facility in The Dalles, Oregon

Barcelona/The Dalles, Oregon, March 6^th, 2025 – Volotea, the airline connecting small and mid-sized European cities, and 280 Earth, a leading innovator in Direct Air Capture (DAC) technology, have signed a two-year Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) to explore high-quality carbon credit solutions and certified emissions reduction projects. This agreement marks 280 Earth’s first collaboration in Europe.

Founded in 2022, 280 Earth was created to scale up groundbreaking research developed at X, The Moonshot Factory (formerly Google X). Backed by Alphabet (Google’s parent company) and supported by leading CDR buyers including Frontier Climate, a carbon-removal fund created to finance over $1 billion in carbon removal efforts from 2022 through 2030 – 280 Earth is at the forefront of developing scalable carbon removal solutions.

Direct Air Capture (DAC) is an advanced carbon removal technology that extracts carbon dioxide (CO₂) directly from ambient air to reduce atmospheric greenhouse gas levels. 280 Earth’s DAC system captures CO₂ through an energy-efficient, continuous-flow process for permanent storage, preventing it from re-entering the atmosphere. The technology can also be integrated with industrial sites to utilize waste heat, further enhancing efficiency.

280 Earth’s first DAC facility has been operational in The Dalles, Oregon since May 2024. The module is capable of removing 500 tons of CO₂ annually (tpa), and site development is planned            to scale up to 20,000 tpa. Beyond carbon removal, 280 Earth’s process also generates clean water, adding further environmental benefits.

Since 2012, Volotea has actively pursued sustainability in aviation, implementing more than 50 initiatives to reduce fuel consumption and lower emissions. These efforts have already resulted in a 46.2% reduction in CO₂ emissions per passenger-kilometer compared to 2012, with the airline committed to a target of a 50% reduction by 2030—expecting to reach this goal four to five years ahead of schedule.

Volotea continues to invest in emerging technologies that support aviation’s environmental transformation as part of its broader sustainability strategy and verified Voloterra program. The collaboration with 280 Earth aligns with this approach, supporting the development of innovative solutions that could play a role in long-term emissions reduction.

Through this collaboration, Volotea and 280 Earth will explore the development and use of high-quality carbon credits—certified instruments that represent the removal of one metric ton of CO₂ from the atmosphere. Carbon credits can be used to offset emissions and support compliance with global sustainability standards, including the Carbon Offsetting and Reduction Scheme for International Aviation (CORSIA), the international framework for addressing aviation’s carbon footprint.  As part of the agreement, the two companies will also evaluate financing mechanisms for sustainability projects and identify how verified emissions reduction efforts can contribute to broader decarbonization strategies.

Volotea’s Voloterra program is built on five key pillars: an efficient connectivity model, reducing CO₂ emissions per passenger-kilometer, increasing the use of sustainable aviation fuel (SAF), a commitment to innovation and development, and transparency and verification. As part of this commitment, Volotea became the first airline to pass a rigorous audit by Bureau Veritas, a world leader in testing and certification, a recognition reaffirmed for the third consecutive time (2021, 2022, and 2023).

CORSIA (Carbon Offsetting and Reduction Scheme for International Aviation) is a global initiative led by the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) to cap net CO₂ emissions from international aviation at 2020 levels. Airlines must offset emissions exceeding this baseline by purchasing carbon credits from approved environmental projects, contributing to industry-wide decarbonization efforts.

Carlos Muñoz, Founder and CEO of Volotea, shared: "Advancing sustainability in aviation requires collaboration with forward-thinking partners across industries, this is why today we are very excited to announce this agreement with 280 Earth, leaders in carbon removal technology. We believe working together with 280 Earth will allow us to assess innovative approaches that could support emissions reduction, a key pillar of our ESG strategy."

John Pimentel, CEO of 280 Earth, added: “280 Earth is pleased to be working with such a forward thinking and well-intentioned company as Volotea. We expect this partnership will provide us deeper understanding of how airlines are addressing their CORSIA requirements and how 280 Earth can meet the needs of corporations seeking to decarbonize through high integrity, permanent engineered CO₂ removals.”

This collaboration highlights the potential of innovation-driven partnerships in advancing sustainability and reducing the environmental impact of air travel, and supports 280 Earth’s expansion into the European market. Combining Volotea’s expertise in aviation with 280 Earth’s leadership in Direct Air Capture technology paves the way for new approaches to emissions reduction.

ABOUT VOLOTEA

Volotea was founded in 2011 by Carlos Muñoz and Lázaro Ros, who previously founded Vueling. It is one of the fastest-growing airlines in Europe over the last decade, expanding its network and increasing its seat offerings year-on-year. In May 2025, the airline will celebrate the milestone of carrying 75 million passengers throughout its network.

Volotea reaches 110 airports and is based in 20 medium-sized European capitals: Asturias, Athens, Bari, Bilbao, Bordeaux, Brest, Florence, Lille, Lyon, Lourdes, Marseille, Nantes, Naples, Olbia, Palermo, Rodez, Strasbourg, Toulouse, Venice, and Verona.

In 2025, Volotea will operate more than 420 routes (with over half exclusive), offer 12.7 million seats (+1% versus 2024), and fly approximately 75,000 flights. The airline operates a fleet of 41 Airbus A319 and A320.

Volotea is working towards achieving a more sustainable future in aviation. The airline has committed to reducing direct CO2 emissions per passenger-kilometer by 50% by 2030 (vs. 2012) and expects to reach this target between four to five years ahead of schedule.

Volotea, with a workforce of over 2,000 employees, actively boosts connectivity within the territories where it is based while contributing to their economic development and enriching the cultural landscape through impactful sponsorship projects.

Volotea was recognized by Skytrax in its global passenger satisfaction survey as the “Best Low-Cost Airline in Europe” at the 2023 and 2024 World Airline Awards, referred to by media worldwide as “the Oscars of the aviation industry.” The airline adds these accolades to its growing list of achievements, which includes consecutive wins for "Europe’s Leading Low-Cost Airline" at the World Travel Awards in 2021, 2022, and 2024.

For more information visit: https://www.volotea.com/en/press-room/ 
press@volotea.com
Tel: 93 117 17 77

ABOUT 280 EARTH

280 Earth was formed in 2022 to scale up and commercialize innovative Direct Air Capture technology developed at X, The Moonshot Factory (Google X). 280 Earth’s proprietary process is unique in its cost-effective continuous flow process to capture CO2 directly from the atmosphere, low energy use, ability to utilize waste heat from a wide variety of industrial processes including data centers, and positive generation of clean water captured from the air. The company is headquartered in Mountain View, California and currently operates a 500-tpa DAC facility in The Dalles, Oregon with additional projects under development nationwide.

For more information, please visit https://280.earth

Media Contact: press@280.earth