UK regulator reprimands Virgin Atlantic for false advertising about sustainable flying

Virgin Atlantic has become the latest airline to come under fire for environmental advertising claims, particularly its depiction of its flagship transatlantic cruise last November. The flight, carried out with a Boeing 787-9, took off from London to New York and used only standard aviation fuel (SAF), exceeding the current regulatory limit of 50% blend.

However, Virgin Atlantic's advertising campaign leading up to the November 28 flight, which the company claimed was “the world's first commercial flight to cross the Atlantic on 100% sustainable aviation fuel”.

This explanation was evaluated by the UK advertising regulator, which found that a “significant proportion” of listeners understood the message that the fuel used was 100% sustainable rather than a partially sustainable fuel.

According to the Advertising Standards Authority's decision published on August 7, many listeners “They may not be aware of the extent to which fuels described as sustainable jet fuels have negative environmental impacts, and in what ways this occurs.” The authority added that listeners had “prospects” that the fuel would not have any negative environmental impact.

Virgin Atlantic claims that using 100% sustainable fuel reduces carbon dioxide emissions by up to 70% compared to conventional jet fuel, and residual emissions from a single flight are reduced through decarbonisation. Preliminary data from the 787, designated “Aircraft 100,” indicates a 64% and 40% reduction in carbon and particulate emissions, respectively.

In defense of the ad, Virgin Atlantic pointed out that it believes consumers understand the environment in which fuel is derived from sustainable sources, reducing, but not eliminating, greenhouse gases, and that this does not mean it does not produce emissions. No adverse effect.

However, while acknowledging that the ad campaign specifically highlighted “Airplane 100”, the authority determined that the ad was “false”.

“We thought many listeners would be interested in taking flights [ações ambientais],” The company said. “So, we consider that information [limitações do Voo 100] Material information is set forth that may influence the transactional decisions of those listeners.”