Greenwashing the skies

We're slowly becoming more aware that the forecasted growth rates for aviation threaten all our efforts to stop climate change wiping us off the planet.

While the aviation industry has some insightful arguments in this debate - such as people generally liking flying and wanting to fly more - this "end of the world" effect is a bit of a problem for their marketing departments.

Generally they just avoid addressing the issue, talking instead about all the wonderful McJobs they're creating in Slough and Staines. But if you push them, and let them know you won't be falling for their usual 2% lie (the government says that aviation is responsible for 13% of the UK's climate change impact), then they eventually fall back on efficiency gains. More people will be able to fly more often to more places, and that's OK
because the new planes will be more efficient, and so the emissions won't rise accordingly. Everyone's a winner.

Not so I'm afraid. The IPCC's special report on aviation predicts the efficiency gains as around 1% a year, while growth is at 4.5% globally, and 7% in the UK.

But climate arguments are full of predictions - how about something we can see now? And then here it comes, looming over all of our horizons - the Airbus A380. This behemoth of the skies can carry more than 800 people and, according to the marketing blurb, is as efficient as a "normal" family car, per passenger mile. Well, overlooking the fact that driving a "normal" family car from here to Bangkok for a fortnight wouldn't be the greenest thing you've ever done, are they on to something here?

John Stewart, the noted anti-aviation campaigner conceded that they could be:

"If - and of course, this remains to be seen - this new larger plane means you could keep the number of flights the same, or even bring them down, then it would be a good thing."

The caveat is telling. These new planes are unlikely to be "instead of", but rather "in addition to" existing fleets.

More technically, the standard configuration of these planes is not to have 800 economy passengers, but rather 555 passengers, with a mix of economy, business and first class. Boeing claims that the old 747 jumbo, with 467 passengers, is 10% more efficient per passenger than a 555 seat A380.

So, it looks as though this huge leap forward is actually a small shuffle back.

But then my attention was drawn to an article that claimed "Singapore's A380 has no first class". Perhaps the airline industry was right all along, I thought.

Alas no. It turns out they have replaced first class with 'suite class' (don't ask) and this particular A380 carries a less-than-whopping 471 passengers when full.

Watch the greenwash.

This article was first published on Commentisfree.com on 25th October 2007.

For more on the A380 scam, check out Leo Hickman's blog here.