Within the tourism industry, air travel is currently a vital element. Despite the real or perceived threats of global warming, the increase in global flights is growing annually. With air travel at its highest levels to date, in no small part due to the success of LCAs, the threat of carbon emissions on global warming appears greater than ever. This essay will position the current arguments of interested parties, then describe how LCAs and the increase in mass tourism have affected destinations and conclude with the most appropriate actions required to reduce carbon emissions.
The first issues to cover are the current views of LCAs, full service airlines, environmental lobby groups and the UK Government policy.
Low Cost Airlines have been sceptical of the criticism given to the industry suggesting that aviation is a major cause of climate change. For example, Easyjet, in 2006, described the view that global flights are adversely affecting the environment as “hysterical persecution” (Cheapflights, 2006). Andy Harrison, Chief Executive of Easyjet also added that the European Commission’s own information on aviation impact shows that “too much of the debate has been based upon inaccurate and one-sided information”.
More recently Easyjet have stated on their website that despite aviation causing only 1.6% of global greenhouse gas emissions, they “still take their responsibility very seriously” (Easyjet, 2006) with a number of examples of how the company is helping to protect the environment including newer, more environmentally friendly planes and offering carbon offsetting.
The previous Environment Minister Ian Pearson described Ryanair as the “irresponsible face of capitalism” (Cheapflights, 2007) after the company opposed plans to include air ...