Bigger planes, impact codes — the battle for the most ethical airline takes off.
The green airline is an oxymoron; air
travel will be the fastest-growing source of carbon emissions by 2050. By 2020 we’ll take half a billion flights annually (up from 189 million in 2002), and aviation does far more damage than its perceived two per cent of U.K. emissions (for example) when you factor in radiative forcing: at altitude, the negative effects of burning kerosene are amplified to the power of three. Despite this it has a rather charmed life: no purchas e tax (in the U.K.), no fuel duty (in the U.K.) and is exempt from the climate-change levy.
According to Ian Poll, professor of aerospace engineering at Cranfield University, U.K., bigger planes such as the Airbus 350 will reduce fuel
consumption per passenger by 25-30 per cent. Boeing claims its 787 Dreamliner is 27 per cent more
efficient in terms of fuel consumption. The new ATR 72-500s boast of “fuel consumption per passenger up to 15 per cent lower than a typical European car on a 200-mile sector.” Again, no mention of that radiative forcing. Further fuel economy is gained by “packing in the passengers on all the flights.”
What you need is a league table, preferably colour coded, where you could have some idea of impact at the time of booking. The carrier Flybe labels aircraft from A (good and fuel efficient) to F (very poor).
If you have to fly, ask as many questions as you can when booking. Airlines have scant regulatory pressure on them; it’s time they felt the heat of the consumer spotlight.
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