Consumers should be able to make more informed travel choices when booking flights and package holidays by accessing data on the environmental impact of flights, according to the aviation regulator.
The Civil Aviation Authority says that environmental information passengers receive should be accurate, understandable and accessible.
The CAA is also looking at how the information should be standardised and consistent across the industry and outlets that sell flights.
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Proposals have been put forward in a new consultation to make clearer the environmental data consumers could expect to see when booking flights in the future.
Metrics reported to consumers would also use standard units, such as kg CO2 or kg CO2e per passenger journey.
The CAA said: “We are developing our policies on how we can work with the industry on consumer environmental information, including designing a set of draft principles for airlines and other companies that advertise or sell flights to follow when calculating and providing environmental information to consumers on their flight.
“Our purpose in developing these principles is to provide guidance for those organisations to calculate and publish environmental information for aviation consumers.”
The new proposals follow a previous call for evidence from the regulator last year.
The consultation, which opened today (Tuesday), runs until October 15.
That “informed the draft principles” for airlines and other companies that advertise or sell flights to follow when calculating and providing environmental information to consumers on their flight.
CAA policy director Tim Johnson said: “Providing consumers with accessible, transparent, and accurate environmental information is essential to making more informed travel choices.
“Our new proposals aim to standardise this information across all platforms, enabling passengers to more easily compare the environmental impact of their flights.
“This initiative is a significant step towards greater transparency and improved sustainability in the aviation industry.”
The authority’s head of sustainability Harry Armstrong added: “All of us want to do our bit to lower our environmental impact, but making informed choices is difficult to do when the data is not available.
“That is why we’ve put forward proposals to ensure that consumers can make decisions about their travel plans by having environmental data available at the point of booking.”
Which? policy and advocacy director Rocio Cincha said: “We know from our research that which airline you choose can have a huge impact on your carbon footprint when you fly, but consumers currently lack the right information to help them make informed choices.
“There can be huge disparities in the results offered by online carbon calculators, and airlines have sometimes been known to make exaggerated claims about their eco credentials.
“The introduction of a mandatory, standardised system that clearly advertises the carbon impact of every flight would be a significant development for consumers, enabling them to accurately consider the environmental impact of their journey.
“If implemented correctly, it could also encourage airlines to make their operations more sustainable, and help consumers cut through ‘greenwashing’ claims.
“For the scheme to be truly valuable however, it is essential that the CAA ensures any information provided is accurate, up-to-date, and truly reflective of the environmental impact.”