'Flight-shaming' could slow growth of airline industry, says IATA

Escalating pressure from investors is pushing airlines to address environmental concerns, according to IATA, which acknowledged that the trend toward “flight-shaming” could weigh on the industry’s future growth. Speaking at a conference in London where airlines vied to demonstrate plans to decarbonise, IATA said the climate was now “top of the agenda” for investors. Citing HSBC research, IATA chief economist Brian Pearce said climate issues came up an average of 7 times on each call between European airlines and investors in 2019, compared with an average of less than once per earnings call between 2013 and 2017. Pearce said: “Climate change is not just an issue for protesters or scientists. You can see the spike this year. This is on the top of the agenda for mainstream investors now." <br/>