Let's Stop Seeing Red As We Strive For A Greener Aviation Industry

By Marc Sellouk, Founder and CEO of Flewber

The United States has always been a multicultural melting pot, from which we have benefitted in so many ways. From science to art to our food and music to our cars and how we dress, we prosper when we embrace the best of each culture. To this day, Europe in particular is a major influence in how Americans set policy and trends, and in how many of us live our day to day lives. What starts in Europe most certainly will try to make its way here. But there are some aspects of European culture that would be better off staying on the other side of the pond.

Of late, two examples of this have caught my attention. The first is out of the UK, where British aviation has missed all but 1 of the 50 targets on energy efficiency and sustainable fuels that it set in 2005. This .020 batting average has caused quite a stir amongst NGOs and their government advisors, with some now calling for a progressive tax on passengers who fly more than once a year. In other words, each additional flight would carry with it a higher tax burden to the ticketed passenger. 

The second example takes on a ferry ride from Great Britain to The Netherlands, where the Dutch airline, KLM, is being sued for allegedly misleading the consumers into thinking that its flights won’t worsen the climate emergency. The group that filed this, first of its kind suit against the airline, is accusing the world’s oldest carrier of “greenwashing” and is going to “demand KLM tells the truth about its fossil-fuel dependent product.” At the heart of the issue is KLM’s “Fly Responsible” campaign, in which KLM talks about their commitment to taking a leading role in a more sustainable future for aviation.

I am a firm believer in being environmentally responsible. Further, I think that every company, including my own private jet company, should always strive to do everything within our means to keep the issue of environmental sustainability and how we can lessen any adverse impact on it, always in the forefront of how it conducts daily and future activities. I’m also an advocate for checks and balances and believe in the need for watchdog groups that hold companies to account for their actions or promises. But to me, these two stories from Europe not only seem like extinguishing a match with a firehose, but sadly may also serve as a foreshadowing of things to come here in the States. Where two sides once aligned in a common goal and working together for a just cause become at odds over the speed at which things are moving.

Peeling back the layers of each of the two examples above will strengthen my point. Going back to the British aviation industry and its woeful .020 sustainability batting average, we must consider other factors. Such as in the UK, from 2005 to 2019, passenger numbers grew by 30% while emissions increased by only 1%. I’d consider that a job well done and not one worthy of a tax on people who fly more than once a year. As for KLM, while this will ultimately be decided in the Dutch courts, what’s ignored here is that KLM is indeed one of several European airlines and aviation manufacturers at the forefront of the movement for the EU to be NetZero by 2050; and yes, for the time being, airlines are obviously fossil-fuel dependent. This fuel dependency shouldn’t tarnish what good they are working toward, let alone be cause for libel, should it?

It's perfectly understandable, that when two sides are striving for something important, especially something as important as a more sustainable and greener future for aviation, inevitably one or both of those sides is going to see red. But when that happens, it’s just time to take a break, a deep breath and resume listening to one another. Without listening, the conversation ends and that helps neither side get where we all want to be.

The views and opinions expressed herein are the views and opinions of the author and do not necessarily reflect those of Nasdaq, Inc.

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