The announcement comes from the European Commission and is a direct result of the review of airlines' climate claims that the European consumer organization BEUC, together with a number of national consumer authorities, has conducted.
Several European companies – including SAS, Norwegian, Ryanair and Lufthansa – have been accused of greenwashing and of spreading information that gives consumers the impression that flying is environmentally sustainable.
"It is great news that after our notification, the airlines promise to stop luring consumers with false green claims," says Johanna Hållén, Secretary General of the Swedish Consumers Association, in a press release.
As an example of claims that violate the EU Directive on Unfair Commercial Practices, it is mentioned that additional fees can "compensate" or "neutralize" the carbon emissions from a flight, which is factually incorrect.
Airlines are also misleading consumers when they charge extra to contribute to the development of “sustainable aviation fuels.” Such fuels are not yet available to the market and will, at best, represent a minor proportion of aircraft kerosene tanks.
