ASA Ruling on Air France-KLM

"A paid-for Google ad for Air France, seen in July 2023, stated “Manchester to Bangkok […] Air France flights […] Air France is committed to protecting the environment: travel better and sustainably”. The Advertising Standards Authority held that the relevant advertising code required that absolute environmental claims must be supported by a high level of substantiation. The ASA considered that the above claims would be understood by consumers to mean that Air France offered a sustainable and environmentally friendly way to travel by air. It therefore expected to see a high level of evidence which demonstrated how Air France were protecting the environment and making aviation sustainable. The ASA understood that air travel was making a substantial contribution to climate change, and that there were currently no initiatives or commercially viable technologies in operation that would adequately substantiate absolute green claims such as these. The claims gave consumers a misleading impression of the impact that travelling with Air France would have on the environment, in breach of the relevant code."