European airlines soften green claims after courtroom setbacks

October 21, 2025 (MLN): European airlines are increasingly toning down or removing vague carbon offset promises from their advertisements following a series of courtroom defeats and growing scrutiny from regulators over alleged greenwashing, misleading environmental claims.

The shift comes after Dutch airline KLM lost a landmark case in Amsterdam last year, where the court ruled the company had misled consumers with “vague and general” adverts about reducing aviation’s environmental impact.

The court found that KLM painted “an overly rosy picture” by overstating the effects of measures such as reforestation and the use of sustainable aviation fuel (SAF).

Similarly, in March this year, a German court banned Lufthansa from advertising that passengers could “compensate” for their flight-related carbon emissions, citing the claims as “misleading.” The German carrier had already faced regulatory action in the United Kingdom in 2023 and Belgium in earlier years.

The European consumer rights group BEUC has also intensified pressure on the aviation industry. In 2023, BEUC filed a complaint with the European Commission, accusing major airlines of greenwashing and unfair commercial practices by exaggerating their environmental credentials. The Commission subsequently launched a probe into 20 airlines, which remains ongoing.

According to BEUC’s Director General Agustin Reyna, while some companies have made improvements such as Norwegian Air Shuttle removing climate-related claims and Wizz Air ending CO₂ offset options “greenwashing is still widespread” across the industry.

Environmental experts say the mounting legal precedents are beginning to reshape airline communications. Diane Vitry of NGO Transport & Environment believes the industry must go further, suggesting that flight advertisements should disclose their actual climate impact, similar to health warnings on tobacco and alcohol.

“There is room to change,” she said, adding that such transparency could help consumers make more informed travel decisions.

Garance Bazin, an environmental researcher who co-authored a Greenpeace report criticizing airline marketing, noted that “legal precedents are starting to take hold,” leading companies to be “less bold” in making unverifiable environmental statements.

In response to mounting pressure, some airlines are pivoting from traditional carbon offsets toward more tangible sustainability measures. Air France, for instance, has stopped offering carbon offset programs altogether, instead inviting passengers to contribute to the purchase of sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) which can cut emissions significantly compared to conventional jet fuel.

Laurent Timsit, general delegate at France’s FNAM (National Federation of Aviation and its Trades), said that while greenwashing remains a concern, airlines are now “paying more attention” to how they communicate their environmental commitments.

Though air transport accounts for only about 3% of global carbon emissions, its climate impact is greater due to other gases and contrails that contribute to atmospheric warming.

The ongoing debate emphasizes the need for clear, science-based communication and genuine progress toward greener aviation practices, not just marketing slogans.

As legal and consumer scrutiny intensifies ahead of COP climate talks, Europe’s aviation sector faces mounting pressure to replace vague promises with verifiable climate action.

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