Consumer groups have denounced “greenwashing” by 17 European airlines in a complaint to Brussels.
The European Commission is being urged to launch an investigation into the issue.
European consumer organisation Beuc and 22 of its member organisations from 18 countries filed the complaint, accusing the carriers of making misleading climate-related claims.
The airlines highlighted by the were named as Air Baltic, Air Dolomiti, Air France, Austrian Airlines, Brussels Airlines, Eurowings, Finnair, KLM, Lufthansa, Norwegian, Ryanair, SAS, Swiss, TAP, Volotea, Vueling and Wizz Air.
Beuc said: “We are calling for a Europe-wide investigation into the issue and for the concerned airlines – and the entire sector – to stop making claims that give consumers the impression that flying is sustainable.
“This is simply untrue as flying is not sustainable and is not bound to become so in the near future.
“Where airlines have proposed consumers to pay extra ‘green’ fees based on such misleading claims, authorities should request airlines to reimburse their customers.”
Beuc argues that claims that paying extra credits can offset the CO2 emissions of a flight are “factually incorrect” as the climate benefits of offsetting activities are “highly uncertain”.
Airlines are also accused of misleading consumers when charging them more to contribute to the development of sustainable aviation fuels (SAFs).
Beuc points out that such fuels are not market-ready and recently adopted EU legislation sets “very low targets” for how much they should represent in the fuel mix of aircraft.
“This means that until SAFs will be massively available – beyond the end of the 2030s – they will at best only represent a minor share in planes’ kerosene tanks,” according to the organisation.
Carriers also stand accused of deception by implying that air travel can be “sustainable”, “responsible” and “green”.
“None of the strategies deployed by the aviation sector are currently able to prevent Greenhouse Gas emissions. It is important to stop these claims as with air traffic set to increase, emissions will keep rising for years to come,” Beuc adds.
Deputy director general Ursula Pachl said:“When it is crystal clear that air travel causes a significant and increasing share of greenhouse gas emissions, it beggars belief that airlines freely lure consumers with climate-friendly messaging such as ‘CO2 compensated’ or ‘CO2 neutral’.
“We urge authorities to take the matter into their hands and crack down on this greenwashing practice seriously misleading consumers.”
She added: “Whether you pay a ‘green fare’ or not, your flight will still emit climate-harmful gases.
“Technological solutions to decarbonise aviation won’t become a massive-scale reality any time soon, so depicting flying as a sustainable mode of transport is pure greenwashing. At a time when many want to travel more sustainably, airlines should urgently stop offering consumers a fake peace of mind.
“Shifting consumer demand towards more sustainable transport modes is critical to cut emissions. Airlines must stop giving consumers the false impression that they are choosing a sustainable transport mode.
“In addition, decision makers must push for solutions to provide consumers with reliable, attractive, and sustainable alternatives such as higher-quality long-distance rail connections.”
Which? Travel editor Rory Boland commented: “Millions of Britons want to make greener choices when travelling, but many airlines make this purposely difficult by misleading them about environmental commitments and carbon emissions.
“Our own research has found that the carbon offsetting programmes of some airlines do little or nothing to actually offset emissions.
“It’s utterly cynical for any airline to use unfounded green claims to boost sales. Consumers must be given accurate information at the time of booking so that they can make an informed decision before purchasing a ticket.”