Pope Francis will land in Dubai on December 1, to attend the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (COP28) aboard a carbon-neutral aircraft operated by Italian carrier ITA Airways. The Pope, escorted by members of the Italian and foreign media, will leave Rome Fiumicino at 11.30 am and arrive at Dubai World Central Airport around 8.25 pm UAE time.
The Pope had earlier announced that he would be in Dubai for three days. Pope Francis is scheduled to hold nearly a full day of bilateral talks with global leaders attending the COP28 climate summit, according per a timetable previously made public by the Vatican.
King Charles and other international leaders are expected to attend. The top leadership of ITA Airways, including President Antonino Turicchi, General Manager Andrea Benassi, Chief Commercial Officer Emiliana Limosani, and CEO of Volare, will greet the 87-year-old pope aboard at Fiumicino Airport.
A 14-person crew including 4 pilots, 10 flight attendants, and an ITA Airways staff devoted to special flights have joined the aircraft to care for the Pope and the accompanying group. With 18,000 flying hours under his belt, Commander Corrado Di Maria will oversee all onboard operations.
Pope will be flown on the extremely efficient Airbus A330neo operated by the Italian flag airline for the greatest assembly of sustainability experts and leaders worldwide. The Airbus A330neo uses 25% less fuel and emits 25% less CO2 per passenger than aircraft from earlier generations.The airline has created a plan that accounts for operational procedures that are as efficient as possible, the use of Sustainable Aviation Fuel (SAF) in an amount equivalent to 0.5% of the fuel required for flights, and the complete offsetting of emissions that cannot be eliminated by taking part in a CO2 reduction project that has earned a Gold Standard certification.
