JetBlue moves to become first carbon-neutral US airline

JetBlue Airways said it will become the first large US airline to offset emissions from all of its domestic flights, aiming to become carbon neutral by July as pressure grows on the industry from climate change activists. The carrier also will begin using sustainable aviation fuel on its flights from San Francisco International Airport, the New York-based airline said Monday. JetBlue declined to disclose the cost of the offset program but said it won’t increase airfares as a result. The airline produces about 8m metric tons of carbon-dioxide emissions each year and is working on a plan to compensate for international flights, said Sophia Mendelsohn, JetBlue’s head of sustainability. The carrier is following EasyJet, which in November announced it would become the first airline to offset carbon emissions from its flights. As concerns about the industry’s role in climate change have mounted, the number of people taking domestic flights has dropped in Germany and Sweden, where teenage activist Greta Thunberg has spearheaded a campaign against air travel. JetBlue CEO Robin Hayes said his airline’s program isn’t a reaction to that growing criticism. “This is part of a long-term commitment we and the industry have to have to reflect the climate reality we are in,” he said. “Aviation has a central and important role to play, and has to make sure it’s preparing for the new climate we are operating in.”<br/>