EasyJet and Ryanair have reacted angrily to a recent decision by the EU that long haul flights would be excluded from their crackdown on jet emission.
Budget airlines said that the announcement made on Wednesday will be a mockery to Europe’s efforts in combating climate changes.
This comes after Brussels gave in to the pressure of long-haul carriers and dropped its plans to include flights on all its studies into non-CO2 emission effects.
The inquiry will only cover flights within the EU, excluding, for example, long-haul airlines such as Lufthansa that fly from Europe to other destinations.
The investigation will focus on by-products such as soot, which are produced when jet fuel is burned.
Some studies claim that these are the culprits for the formation and growth of contrails, which may have a greater impact on global warming than carbon dioxide alone.
Ryanair, easyJet and Hungary’s Wizz Air are the two biggest low-cost carriers in the region. They say that the EU’s new decision will eliminate 75pc from the European emissions coming from long-distance flight.
The EU crackdown is likely to lead to financial penalties that will be far less burdensome for carriers who derive the majority of their income from lucrative long-haul trips.
Low-cost carriers like Ryanair, on the other hand, operate almost exclusively within Europe and could face charges for almost all their services.
The International Air Transport Association, whose members are dominated by long haul airlines, had lobbyed the EU to exclude all flights from the study.
The reason given was that the science behind non CO2 emissions was not sufficiently advanced, and the data collection required would be too burdensome.
Ryanair, easyJet, and Wizz Air, however, urged the EU revert back to its original plans by scrutinizing long-haul flights.
Three airlines stated: “It is clear that we cannot allow an entire segment of European aviation to be left blank. This would be harmful to climate action.”
The plan will be subject to consultations over the next few months, and they still hope that its scope can be expanded.
Three companies have said that the EU’s climbdown will result in hundreds of thousands of flights being cancelled each year over the North Atlantic where weather conditions are perfect for contrail formation.
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