Diana Birkett-rakow on hydrogen propulsion
From H2 Aviation Summit 23 - Opening Keynote: In Conversation – Diana Birkett-Rakow & Val Miftakhov · · ZeroAvia
“Hydrogen electric propulsion fits squarely into that five-part path and one of the things is that it's not a one-size-fits-all strategy for this industry. We've got to have multiple strategies and we've got to execute on all of them at once.”
On , Diana Birkett-rakow, Senior Vice President of Public Affairs & Sustainability - Alaska Airlines Inc at ALASKA AIR GROUP INC, spoke about hydrogen propulsion during H2 Aviation Summit 23 - Opening Keynote: In Conversation – Diana Birkett-Rakow & Val Miftakhov on ZeroAvia.
About Diana Birkett-rakow
Diana Birkett-Rakow, Senior Vice President of Public Affairs and Sustainability at Alaska Airlines, has spoken about the company's goal of reaching net-zero carbon emissions by 2040. She has described a five-part path to achieve this, including operational efficiency, sustainable aviation fuel, electrified aircraft, and carbon removal projects. Birkett-Rakow stated that the company has integrated a carbon efficiency metric into its annual employee incentive pay program and has created an investment fund, Alaska Star Ventures, to support emerging technologies. She has also discussed the company's efforts to engage consumers on sustainability, such as a platform that allows guests to view flight emissions and purchase sustainable aviation fuel credits. Birkett-Rakow has addressed the company's operations and hiring in Hawaii, noting that Alaska Airlines has increased frequency to Honolulu and has about 600 employees across the islands. She has discussed the company's support for the "Malama Hawaii" initiative, which encourages responsible tourism, and its signing of a student-developed pledge focused on environmental stewardship. Regarding industry challenges, she has expressed optimism about aviation's future, citing increased innovation and collaboration among government, consumers, technologists, and investors. She has also noted that the company is hiring pilots and investing in training programs to address workforce needs.