Jambojet Wins 'Most Compelling Story' Award at The Aviation Challenge

Jambojet has been recognized with the “Most Compelling Story” award at The Aviation Challenge in Copenhagen, honoring a circular-economy collaboration that links environmental action with community impact and operational engagement.

The winning initiative centers on a partnership with Plastiki Rafiki, a student-led sustainability group from the International School of Kenya, and artisans from Mathare. Plastic waste collected through beach clean-ups, airport recycling points, operational activities, and employee programs was repurposed into keychains and fridge magnets, diverting more than 1,000 kilograms of plastic from landfill during the pilot phase.

For Jambojet, the project addressed a long-standing operational gap: what happens after waste is collected. By converting recovered plastic into usable products, the initiative transformed a disposal challenge into a value stream whilea while supporting hands-on sustainability learning for ten students and income opportunities for fifteen artisans.

Alongside the Plastiki Rafiki project, Jambojet’s two thousand twenty-five Aviation Challenge participation included operational efficiency measures with direct fuel-burn and emissions benefits. These included single-engine taxi procedures, APU shutdowns supported by expanded GPU availability, and the use of Continuous Descent Approach where operationally feasible. The airline also incorporated passenger engagement through airport sustainability quizzes, in-flight announcements, and the distribution of seeded notebooks and bookmarks to encourage continued environmental action.

Karanja Ndegwa, managing director and chief executive officer of Jambojet, said the recognition reflects the airline’s commitment to innovation, sustainability, and community impact. He noted that the partnership demonstrates how environmental responsibility can be integrated into both airline operations and local livelihoods.

Jambojet also expanded its aviation textile upcycling work in collaboration with Kenya Airways, repurposing retired seat covers, uniforms, and cabin textiles into travel-inspired products. The partnership introduced a joint business development program designed to equip designers and community groups with skills in sustainable production and circular-economy entrepreneurship.

Knowledge sharing remained another pillar of Jambojet’s approach. Through engagement with the East African School of Aviation, the airline hosted maintenance exposure sessions linking aircraft engineering, operational efficiency, and sustainability in practical training environments.

The Aviation Challenge is a global initiative focused on accelerating sustainable innovation across the aviation sector. In two thousand twenty-five, twenty-two airlines submitted a combined two hundred twenty-four initiatives across eighteen award categories.