NEW YORK – This summer, European vacationers are being brought down to earth. A campaign, marked by hashtags such as #stayontheground and #flightshame, is pressuring travelers to think twice about the carbon impact of their air travel.
Even airlines are joining in the public shaming. KLM Royal Dutch Airlines is encouraging people to fly less, and Deutsche Lufthansa AG’s CEO recently declared that cheap fares are “economically, ecologically and politically irresponsible.” Whether connected or not, there’s been a surge in European train passenger traffic this summer.
None of this well-meaning effort will amount to much, however, unless the industry grapples with the environmental impact of its fastest-growing market: Asia.
Aviation industry estimates suggest that global passenger numbers will double by 2037, led primarily by new middle-class consumers in China, India and Southeast Asia. Sometime in the next decade, China will surpass the United States as the world’s biggest aviation market.
Read more at: Japan Times
