2017 U.S.-Booked Air Volume: $99 million
Consolidated U.S. TMC: Amex GBT
BTN estimates that U.S.-booked air spend at pharmaceutical
and medical device firm Abbott increased more than 5 percent in 2017. Abbott
has continued to implement policies to limit or reduce its business travel,
including recommendations to use remote conferencing services in lieu of
travel. Still, the company's emissions of carbon dioxide equivalent due to its
business travel increased about 29 percent in 2017 to 173,000 metric tons.
Abbott's 2017 net sales increased more than 31 percent to nearly $27.4 billion.
The company closed the acquisition of global medical device manufacturer St.
Jude Medical in January 2017 and the acquisition of diagnostic device and
service provider Alere in October 2017, accounting in part for the significant
sales increase. Abbot's selling, general and administrative expenses increased
nearly 37 percent to $9.1 billion. Abbott employed approximately 99,000 people
at the end of 2017, up from 94,000 a year prior.