Every member airline united in support of global initiative to prevent illegal wildlife trafficking
BRUSSELS, Oct. 16, 2026 /PRNewswire/ — oneworld® and its 15 member airlines have agreed to combat illegal wildlife trafficking by signing onto the Buckingham Palace Declaration (BPD), becoming the first airline alliance to do so with the unanimous support of its members.
“The complete commitment of all oneworld members greatly increases our ability to identify and disrupt trafficking and help combat the illegal trade in wildlife,” said Ole Orvér, CEO of oneworld. “This milestone reinforces the critical role aviation plays in protecting endangered species and safeguarding global ecosystems.”
Royal Jordanian President and CEO Samer Majali signed the Buckingham Palace Declaration at IATA’s Wings of Change Europe in Brussels, completing the commitment from all 15 oneworld member airlines.
Wildlife trafficking forms part of the wider environmental crime economy, one of the fastest-growing forms of organised crime globally and relies heavily on global transport networks and supply chains to move illegal goods. Environmental crime is also a major driver of biodiversity loss, contributing to over US$1 trillion in economic damage annually.
The Buckingham Palace Declaration brings together the transport and logistics sectors to help close the routes exploited by traffickers and was launched by The Royal Foundation’s United for Wildlife (UfW) in 2016. Through this commitment, oneworld members will strengthen policies, improve detection and reporting, and support global enforcement efforts across the alliance’s network of nearly 1,000 destinations.
“We are pleased to see momentum continue with new signatories strengthening global efforts to prevent and disrupt wildlife trafficking,” said Lord William Hague, Co-Chair of United for Wildlife. “We welcome the oneworld family, representing 15 airlines, into the Taskforce. By signing the Buckingham Palace Declaration, oneworld joins this global effort, strengthening the aviation sector’s ability to detect and deter these crimes through collaboration with law enforcement and conservation partners.”
By signing the Buckingham Palace Declaration, all 15 oneworld member airlines have committed to supporting the global effort against wildlife trafficking. Together, they can now strengthen staff training, information sharing and collaboration with law enforcement to help detect, deter and disrupt wildlife trafficking across their networks.
Measures of the declaration include:
- Adopting a zero-tolerance approach to illegal wildlife trade
- Enhancing screening, reporting, and compliance processes across cargo and passenger operations
- Training frontline teams to identify and respond to suspicious activity
- Collaborating with governments, customs authorities, and conservation organisations
The Buckingham Palace Declaration also supports the broader United for Wildlife Transport Taskforce efforts, helping accelerate a more coordinated and effective global response to illegal trade in wildlife.
About oneworld
oneworld brings together 15 world-class airlines – 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 to nearly 1,000 destinations. oneworld member airlines work together to consistently deliver a superior, consistent travel experience, with special rewards and privileges for its frequent flyers, including earning and redeeming miles and points across the entire alliance network, access to airport lounges, priority check in and boarding and extra baggage allowances and more. Learn more about the oneworld Alliance at oneworld.com.
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SOURCE oneworld Management Company, Inc
