Association for Consumer Protection v. Austrian Airlines (Greenwashing)

In September 2023, the Association for Consumer Protection (VKI) filed a civil lawsuit against Austrian Airlines regarding misinformation in their advertising campaign. Austrian Airlines made a Twitter post advertising a carbon-neutral flight to Venice made possible by sustainable aviation fuel (SAF). The court findings found that the percentage of SAF used on the flight was significantly lower than the amount necessary to reduce emissions by 80%. Moreover, the SAF was added only if ticket holders paid an overcharge on their fees, which was not mentioned in the advertisement. The regional Court of Korneuburg sided with VKI and determined that Austrian Airlines’ advertisements were misleading.