Airlines' greenwashing still rife despite improvements

The European aviation industry is awash with misleading climate-related claims, consumer groups said yesterday, more than a year after the European Union (EU) launched a probe into airlines' greenwashing.

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Brussels - The European aviation industry is awash with misleading climate-related claims, consumer groups said yesterday, more than a year after the European Union (EU) launched a probe into airlines' greenwashing.

An analysis of 17 air carriers found many misled passengers by suggesting that flying was more ecofriendly than it really is — a breach of EU rules — pan-European consumers organisation BEUC said.

"Travellers are lulled into believing they are choosing a sustainable transportation rather than a highly polluting one," said BEUC director general Agustin Reyna.

Aviation accounts for up to four percent of all the EU's greenhouse gas emissions, according to Brussels.