The world’s first plastic-free flight took to the skies just after Christmas, operated by a Portuguese airline that says it can “no longer ignore” the impact the single-use material has on the environment. Hi Fly, a company that wet leases aircraft in Portugal and Malta, replaced plastic cutlery and containers with bamboo and compostable alternatives crafted from recycled material. The flight took passengers from the carrier’s headquarters in Lisbon to Brazil on an Airbus A340 on Boxing Day and is the first of three more test flights to follow, all carrying a total of 700 travellers.