Air France-KLM, the French-Dutch airline group, secured the top position in the airlines category of the Dow Jones Sustainability Index for the ninth consecutive year, the company said.

The international index created by RobecoSAM evaluates performance in sustainable development.

Air France-KLM also topped the list in the “Transport” category, which covers air, rail, sea and road transport for its fifth year in a row ― making Air France-KLM ranked as one of the 24 most sustainable companies across various industry sectors.

“Committed to a comprehensive transformation plan to restore our competitiveness, we intend to continue our efforts to reduce our environmental impact and to contribute to the development of territories where our aircraft take off and land every day. This award confirms our commitment to be a socially responsible company and our ability to understand the global changes that we face,” said Air France chairman and CEO Frdric Gagey.

“I’m very proud that we are still sector leader on sustainability. Already for nine years in a row. Every year makes it even more challenging to keep the No. 1 position on the annual Dow Jones Sustainability Index. It proves that we still continue to develop in the right direction with new sustainable initiatives,” KLM chairman and CEO Camiel Eurlings said.

Air France-KLM is currently tackling issues such as minimizing its environmental burden, combining sustainable growth in its products and services and promoting efficient HR policies.

By Kim Joo-hyun (jhk@heraldcorp.com)