Green Flight (Photo: SHUTTERSTOCK) Green with Credentials. The European Union started introducing a new emission label for airlines this week (20.12). It involves calculating harmful emissions from airplanes. Airlines operating flights within or from the European Union can voluntarily join the label, which will be fully operational in July 2025.
According to the European Union's announcement, "By the start of next summer, passengers will have the ability to view and compare estimated greenhouse gases emitted from their flights, enabling more informed purchasing decisions."
Until now, there wasn't a simple and accessible system with common criteria for evaluating emissions on flights, an issue gaining traction among ticket buyers in Europe. The "Flight Emission Label" will consider the type of aircraft, average number of passengers, cargo volume, and of course, the fuel used on the route.
European Union. Taking Responsibility (Photo: shutterstock)Where will we encounter the new system? According to the EU’s announcement, when searching for flights or booking tickets online, a dedicated logo will be displayed alongside flight emission data, ensuring the information is reliable. The EU's stamp on the label is intended to prevent "Green Washing," which means skewing results by airlines or insincere persuasion attempts about a company's emissions.
In the coming years, airlines are gradually expected to use more sustainable aviation fuel (mainly SAF) to align with the "zero emissions" policy by 2050.