Ricci: ‘We Have to Think About Sustainability Holistically’

Kennedy Ricci was born with aviation in his blood, coming from a long line of aviation professionals on both sides of his family. After starting his career in marketing and social media, he was ultimately drawn to aviation partially due to the passionate people who make up the industry.

A GA pilot himself with a commercial rating, Ricci is also passionate about sustainability, which inspired him to launch 4AIR, a company offering turnkey solutions for aviation sustainability needs.

Ricci attributes some of his passion for sustainability to experiences from his childhood. “We traveled a lot when I was younger,” Ricci said. “I was homeschooled in eighth grade and our travels exposed me to different cultures.” Ricci’s travels with his family often included destinations in remote and unusual locations. “That exposure showed me what’s out there and what’s worth protecting in the world – environmentally, culturally and socially,” he said. “Aviation gave me access to these things, and it’s very important to me that we preserve that access.”

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Millennials and Gen Z consider the environmental impact of decisions more heavily than previous generations, Ricci believes. “Previous generations have laid the foundation, but it’s more top of mind for current generations. You see more people making decisions based on what the impact will be,” he said. “Sustainability is part of this generation’s purchasing decisions. Part of that is because we will live to see the impacts of our decisions.”

When Ricci considers sustainability, he isn’t talking about reducing or eliminating certain modes of transportation. He thinks about continuing what the industry is doing in a sustainable way.

“We have to think long term about aviation’s role, though, beyond just the next few years,” Ricci said. “Electric aircraft are a great option, but won’t cover every type of mission. Hydrogen is likely even further off in the future.”

For now, sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) and carbon offsets are viable methods of achieving sustainability, though SAF availability is currently limited. Carbon offsets, he said, have evolved since their early days, with several credible solutions available. “We have to think about sustainability holistically,” Ricci said. “If we want to see aviation thrive, we need to think about it not just environmentally, but by its impact socially, culturally and economically.”