Brussels – October 16, 2026 -- oneworld and all 15 of its member airlines have signed the Buckingham Palace Declaration against illegal wildlife trafficking, making it the first airline alliance to join with unanimous member support.
Royal Jordanian CEO completes alliance-wide signing in Brussels
Royal Jordanian President and CEO Samer Majali signed the declaration at IATA's Wings of Change Europe in Brussels, completing the commitment across the alliance. oneworld CEO Ole Orvér said the full membership commitment "greatly increases" the alliance's ability to identify and disrupt trafficking.
Environmental crime causes more than US$1 trillion in annual damage
Wildlife trafficking is part of the wider environmental crime economy, which the source describes as one of the fastest-growing forms of organised crime globally. The trade relies heavily on global transport networks and supply chains to move illegal goods. Environmental crime also drives biodiversity loss and contributes to more than US$1 trillion in economic damage each year.
United for Wildlife declaration targets transport routes used by traffickers
The Royal Foundation's United for Wildlife (UfW) launched the Buckingham Palace Declaration in 2016 to bring the transport and logistics sectors together to close the routes traffickers exploit. oneworld members will strengthen policies, improve detection and reporting, and support enforcement efforts across a network of nearly 1,000 destinations. UfW Co-Chair Lord William Hague said the alliance's 15 airlines are welcomed into the Taskforce.
Airlines commit to four operational measures across cargo and passenger operations
- Adopt a zero-tolerance approach to illegal wildlife trade
- Enhance screening, reporting and compliance processes across cargo and passenger operations
- Train frontline teams to identify and respond to suspicious activity
- Collaborate with governments, customs authorities and conservation organisations
The airlines will also expand staff training, information sharing and cooperation with law enforcement. The declaration supports the broader United for Wildlife Transport Taskforce, which aims to accelerate a more coordinated global response to illegal wildlife trade.