ASA Ruling on Etihad Airways (complaint no.2 in 2023)

"A paid-for Google ad for Etihad Airways, seen in July 2023, stated “Etihad Airways – Book Your Flight Today […] Enjoy Great Discounts, Offers and Deals On Your Flight Bookings. Explore the World With Confidence and Total Peace Of Mind With Etihad Airways. Environmental Advocacy. Award-Winning Service”. The relevant advertising code required that absolute environmental claims must be supported by a high level of substantiation. The claims that Etihad allowed consumers to explore the world with “Total Peace Of Mind”, alongside the phrase “Environmental Advocacy”, would be understood by consumers to mean that Etihad actively worked to protect the environment and, consequently, consumers could use their services with “Total Peace Of Mind” with regard to the environmental impact of doing so. It was therefore expected that there would be a high level of evidence, which showed how they offered consumers total peace of mind about the environmental impact of using their service. Air travel was making a substantial contribution to climate change. There were currently no initiatives or commercially viable technologies that would adequately substantiate absolute green claims, such as that Etihad were providing consumers with “Total Peace Of Mind” when travelling by air, and engaging in “Environmental Advocacy”. While Etihad’s decision to remove the phrase “Environmental advocacy” from future ads was welcomed, there was no evidence that they were engaged in such advocacy, or that they actively worked to protect the environment in a way that meant consumers could use their services with “Total Peace Of Mind” with regard to the environmental impact of doing so. The ad gave a misleading impression of Etihad’s environmental impact, in breach of the relevant code.