1:34pm Friday 12th March 2010
An analysis conducted by Liligo.co.uk, a flight comparison site, has shown that no-frills airlines produce as little as 35% of the carbon emissions, per passenger, of full-service airlines, thanks to higher densities of seats, direct flights and newer fleets.
Gbenga Hogbe of Liligo.co.uk said "our analysis shows that the environmental stigma of budget travel may be unwarranted, travellers can now assess the financial and environmental costs of travelling with low-cost airlines, traditional airlines and charter-flight companies."
Two passengers flying from London to Venice with Ryanair and returning a week later, have a carbon footprint of 410kg, whereas, two passengers flying with Alitalia, would increase the carbon footprint to 977kg. A flight from London to Zurich with Aer Lingus has a carbon footprint of 688kg whereas flying with Easyjet would decrease it to 277kg.
No frills airlines like to fill up their flights by offering very cheap seats. In 2009, the average Easyjet flight was 86% and Ryanair was 82% occupied, compared with an average of 68% of Europe's full-service airlines, according to the Association of European Airlines, British Airways came in at 73% full during the same period.
An Easyjet spokesman said: "Our policy is to expand our fleet through the acquisition of the latest-technology aircraft, as these are more fuel-efficient than older models. The average age of an aircraft in our fleet is 3.5 years. We also use these aircrafts as efficiently as possible, by maximising load factors and seating density."
With many major airlines seeing a fall in passenger numbers, Easyjet have reported a 9.3% rise in passenger traffic in December 2009 compared with December 2008, although analysts speculated that this may have been due to the disruption by snow of Eurostar services and the threat of strike action which loomed over BA. Easyjet have also expanded their destinations by offering popular resorts such as cheap Hurghada holidays.
Full service airlines are continuing to take steps towards the low-cost model. BA has began charging to pre-book seats on short-haul flights, cut luggage allowances and has abolished free flight meals. BMI said it planned to have economy-only cabins and to remove business-class sections from its domestic flights.
British Airways carried 4% fewer passengers in December 2009 compared with December 2008, overall falling by 750,000. The new threat to strike during the Easter holiday period will surely have further damaging effects to the airline and if Unite union get their way and it actually goes ahead, could result in catastrophic consequences for both its passengers and staff.
So whether you're planning on having a spa week away in Spain, cheap Hurghada holidays or bargain breaks to the canaries, it's important to take into consideration the carbon footprint effect we're all having, so compare the costs and consequences with various airlines.
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