Regional airline Flybe is to provide eco-labels that will tell passengers exactly how much CO2 the planes they’re flying on emit.
In what is the world's first airline eco-labelling scheme, the carrier will attach a breakdown of the fuel consumption, carbon emissions and noise patterns of the aircraft used on a traveller's journey to bookings.
This will help passengers to choose less environmentally damaging routes, as well as encourage them to contribute to carbon offsetting schemes.
As environmental concerns climb higher up the political agenda, Flybe and other airlines have been making strides to improve their eco-performance in recent months.
Notably, Virgin Atlantic has run trials of a new plane-towing system that could significantly cut CO2 emissions from aircraft on the ground (see: Virgin Atlantic to begin towing trial). Jet aircraft are towed to starting grids, meaning their engines are not idling and wasting fuel.
Sir Richard Branson's airline has also invested in fuel-efficient Boeing Dreamliner aircraft (see: Virgin Atlantic buys eco-friendly Dreamliners), and Flybe itself has spent more than £2 billion improving its own fleet fuel consumption with greener Bombardier Q400 and Embraer 195 planes.
Flybe's eco-labelling scheme is a response to the recent Stern Report into climate change, in which economist Sir Nicholas Stern argued that businesses should display their carbon footprint to help consumers make informed decisions.
The labels are broken down into three parts: a local environment assessment (data concerning aircraft noise ratings and emissions at take-off and landing); a journey environment assessment (data on fuel consumption and CO2 emissions); and a passenger environment assessment (details about legroom and number of seats).
Passengers can then judge for themselves whether they ought to contribute to one of the carbon offsetting schemes being operated on behalf of the airline by the charity PURE.
Flights will be offset by the purchase of Kyoto carbon credits, as well as through direct contribution to small-scale projects such as renewable energy technology in schools.
PURE will then publish reports into how the money has been allocated on the Flybe website, so passengers will be able to keep abreast of how their money has been spent.
Flybe's chairman and chief executive, Jim French, commented: "With today's launch of the eco-label, we take up the challenge to make Flybe as environmentally sensitive as possible and to help bring pressure across the industry to reduce emissions by improving standards.
"Our eco-label initiative is designed to help consumers identify which type of aircraft or which type of route is the most sensitive choice to the environment.
"We believe that through the provision of information to consumers they will exercise choice, i.e. 'we need to make this journey and I know my choice has the least impact on my neighbourhood and the environment'."
In the meantime, the annual meeting of the International Air Transport Association (IATA) opened with an acknowledgement of the "green" issue.
A spokesman for the group, which represents around 94 per cent of international air traffic, said that airlines had made progress in reducing emissions and that the subject was a priority in its agenda.
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