Environmental group Greenpeace set up ‘climate ticket exchanges’ in airports across the UK this morning in a bid to get passengers to swap their flight for a train journey.
Greenpeace campaigners dressed as ‘eco-stewardesses’ set up booths near British Airways check-in desks at London City, Manchester, Newcastle and Edinburgh airports and offered free return rail tickets for those willing to cancel their domestic flight.
Greenpeace says companies are trying to create a ‘binge flying’ culture in Britain.
Director John Sauven said: “Planes are ten times more damaging to the climate than trains, so if we don’t do something about the growth in aviation Britain will find it very hard to meet its global warming targets.
“City centre to city centre the train doesn’t take much longer, and the walk-on price is a lot cheaper. We’re finding travellers are really interested to hear how polluting flying can be.”
A spokesman for British Airways said flights were operating as normal but said: “Airlines also achieve much higher load factors than train operators. It is ridiculous to describe the domestic leg of such journeys as ‘binge flying’.”
London City Airport said Greenpeace carried out demonstrations this morning, but moved on when asked to do so by the Metropolitan Police. Flights were operating as normal, it said.