Etihad Airways can no longer run two recent advertisements in the UK after a regulator found their environmental claims were “exaggerated.” The ads, promoted on Facebook in October last year, suggest the Abu Dhabi-based airline is “taking a louder, bolder approach to sustainable aviation,” but failed to back up the claim, the Advertising Standards Authority found in a ruling published on Wednesday. “The claim exaggerated the impact that flying with Etihad would have on the environment,” the ASA said. “We understood that there were currently no initiatives or commercially viable technologies in operation within the aviation industry which would adequately substantiate an absolute green claim such as ‘sustainable aviation’ as we considered consumers would interpret it in this context.” The ruling, which bars the airline from showing the advertisements in their current form again in the UK, is part of a series of investigations by the regulator into marketing campaigns promoting a company's climate action. The ASA and other European regulators are cracking down on “greenwashing” to protect consumers from unreliable claims of environmental sustainability. Etihad Airways said it’s disappointed by ASA’s decision. “Sustainability is a key priority for Etihad,” the company said in an e-mailed statement, highlighting its investments in fuel-efficient aircraft, sustainable aviation fuels research, as well as carbon offsetting and reforestation through mangroves.<br/>
eap
Following the recently expanded air services agreement between the UAE and Canada, Etihad Airways has announced it will increase flights to Toronto. On May 30, Etihad Airways will introduce an additional weekly flight between Abu Dhabi and Toronto, on top of its current six-per-week flight schedule, to offer travellers a daily connection.<br/> "Etihad is thrilled to begin flying daily between Abu Dhabi and Toronto, which has been one of our busiest routes in 2023 as a result of the rapid recovery and continued growth in travel demand between the UAE and Canada," said Arik De, Chief Revenue Officer at Etihad Airways. "Our daily service will provide business and leisure travellers, the Canadian diaspora and the large body of students from the UAE enrolled in Canada’s world-class universities with a convenient flight option every day of the week. “We thank the government and civil aviation authorities for laying the groundwork for us to strengthen the air links between our two countries, which are essential for tourism, trade and bilateral relations.” Etihad will this year mark 18 years since it began serving Toronto in October 2005. The carrier has an interline agreement with WestJet and a codeshare with Air Canada which allow guests to benefit from seamless connectivity in Toronto to more than 15 destinations. <br/>