Airlines might ask passengers if they would voluntarily like to contribute towards funding sustainable aviation fuel projects (SAF) or offsetting the carbon emissions generated during their flights.
This is often presented to passengers when purchasing flights, or in the case of British Airways, in its inflight magazine, on certain passenger flights.
So, does the approach work? Well, depending on the passenger and the way the offer is put to passengers.
VOLUNTARY CONTRIBUTIONS FOR SAF
Passengers on British Airways flights are offered the opportunity to make GBP 2.50 contributions towards the development and production of sustainable aviation fuel.
The offer is presented in the airline’s inflight magazine, HighLife.
IT’S ALL IN THE PRESENTATION
The initiative is commendable but the uptake from passengers is likely to be very low, because of how this initiative is presented.
A page in BA’s HighLife magazine displays the onboard menu for short-haul flights where passengers must pay for inflight catering.
A QR code is displayed on this menu page. When scanning the QR code, users are taken to a website where donations are accepted.
A MAJOR OBSTACLE
However, there is a big problem with this initiative
British Airways does not offer inflight WiFi on short-haul flights, meaning few passengers will even be able to get through to the website to make voluntary contributions.
Furthermore, it is unlikely that passengers will even remember to visit the website after their flights.
CLEANER AIRLINE FUELS
The aviation sector is responsible for around 2 percent of global carbon emissions. Airlines are now obliged to implement measures which help to reduce this.
One of the ways to mitigate aviation’s impact on the environment is through the use of cleaner fuels (SAF).
However, the availability and cost of cleaner fuels are huge obstacles to achieving reduction targets.
ALSO READ: SAF producer Neste launches new emissions reduction solution
KNOWLEDGE ABOUT SAF
Sustainable aviation expert, Dirk Singer, believes few passengers even know what SAF is, and are thus unlikely to contribute.
He states that a recent study sponsored by Heathrow Airport claimed that only 14% of respondents knew what SAF was.
HOW TO IMPROVE
Singer says the airline misses an opportunity to present passengers with essential and interesting information before appealing for voluntary contributions.
He believes it would be better for British Airways to dedicate some space in its magazine to writing about SAF projects and then include the option to contribute to SAF at the end of the write-up.
