Airline chiefs have no easy answers for flight-shaming critics

Airline bosses sought to defend their business against a rising tide of criticism over aircraft emissions as an upswell of activism threatens to overwhelm the industry before it can mount an effective response. The heads of carriers including Emirates, JetBlue and EasyJet warned that reducing carbon emissions would take years, if not decades, given the limitations of current technology and expansion of air travel to an ever-wider slice of the global population. They also objected to punitive measures they maintain would be counter-productive or unintentionally hurt those who couldn’t afford additional costs. While carriers are taking action to cut carbon emissions and mitigate the impact of flying, significant advances such as electric or hybrid jets are decades away from commercial flight, Emirates President Tim Clark said Thursday. “Let us not kid ourselves that the Holy Grail is going to come overnight,” Clark said. “In the next couple of decades we might see some short-haul aircraft, but with long-haul it’s much more difficult to do.” Activists from Extinction Rebellion targeted the event the executives were speaking at. The demonstrators are part of the growing “Flight Shaming” movement that’s already dented air travel in Scandinavia. Formulating a quick response is particularly challenging for airlines, which rely on long development cycles for aircraft that can stay in service for decades. “Be careful about over-promising,” Clark said, adding that he understands if customers ask airlines about their environmental priorities. “The automotive industry is well ahead, but then cars don’t fly.”<br/>