oneworld and all 15 of its member airlines have committed to combating illegal wildlife trafficking by signing the Buckingham Palace Declaration, making the alliance the first to secure unanimous member support for the initiative. The commitment was completed in Brussels when Royal Jordanian President and CEO Samer Majali signed the declaration during IATA’s Wings of Change Europe event. It covers passenger and cargo operations across a network serving nearly 1,000 destinations.
Launched by United for Wildlife, an initiative of The Royal Foundation, the declaration brings transport and logistics companies together to help close routes used by wildlife traffickers. The oneworld carriers will strengthen relevant policies and adopt a zero-tolerance approach to illegal wildlife trade.
Planned measures include improved screening, detection, reporting and compliance procedures, alongside training for frontline employees to identify and respond to suspicious activity. The airlines also intend to share information and work with governments, customs authorities, conservation organisations and law-enforcement agencies.
The participating airlines are Alaska Airlines/Hawaiian Airlines, American Airlines, British Airways, Cathay Pacific, Fiji Airways, Finnair, Iberia, Japan Airlines, Malaysia Airlines, Oman Air, Qantas, Qatar Airways, Royal Air Maroc, Royal Jordanian and SriLankan Airlines. The commitment concerns strengthened procedures, training and cooperation; it does not introduce reported changes to routes, passenger restrictions or fees.