Air France, Lufthansa Group airlines part of EU greenwashing probe

Air France, its Dutch arm KLM, Norwegian and several Lufthansa Group airlines are among 20 carriers being investigated by the European Union for potential greenwashing, the companies said on Thursday (2 May). The EU said airlines needed to make clear to what extent claims about tackling aircraft CO2 emissions – whether by offsetting them with climate projects or using sustainable fuels – can be substantiated by sound scientific evidence.

The Lufthansa Group airlines under investigation are Brussels Airlines, Lufthansa, SWISS, Austrian Airlines, Air Dolomiti and Eurowings, the group said on Thursday, while a spokesperson for Air France-KLM confirmed the group was also part of the probe. Norwegian said in a reply to a Reuters request: “We received the letter, and are now working to familiarize ourselves with the case material and will answer this within the deadline.”

Industry group Airlines for Europe (A4E) said in a statement that it recognised the importance of clear information about sustainability, but that current regulations in the EU “vary significantly between countries and are still evolving”. It is unclear which other airlines are being investigated. The EU has said it will not disclose the names while investigations are at a preliminary stage

Source: ECEEE