The UK advertising agency said the Wizz Air's sustainability claims were “misleading”, it said on November 27, 2024.
Wizz Air's Google advertisement, seen on June 9, 2024, stated: “Fly Wizz Air - one of the greenest choices in air travel”. The Advertising Standards Authority (ASA) ruled the ad had been unclear to consumers why it made this claim. The authority added that “comparative claims” such as “greener” or “friendlier” should be made clear and that comparisons against “identifiable competitors” had to be verifiable and include “sufficient information" for the claims to be understood.
“While we acknowledged that Wizz Air had based the claim on the type of aircraft they used, and the carbon emissions per passenger measured in CO2/RPK, that was not stated in the ad,” the ASA said in its ruling.
A Wizz Air spokesperson said: “We are pleased that the ASA acknowledged our claim was based on credible emissions intensity results, which are the lowest of any airline globally, backed up by third party data and benchmarked against other airlines. We recognise the importance of helping our valued customers understand why they are choosing 'one of the greenest choices in air travel'. To that end, we will enhance our advertising to provide more comparative information about our sustainability efforts."
The ASA added: "The ad had not included information that would allow consumers to understand the comparison. Because the ad had not made clear the basis of the claim, or provided verifying information, we concluded it had breached the [UK code of non-broadcast advertising and direct & promotional marketing].”
The Wizz Air spokesperson said the ruling differed from previous ASA rulings against other airlines “who generate higher emissions and made inflated environmental claims”. The spokesperson said that while it is “important to hold airlines accountable" for advertising claims, it should also be “counterbalanced with the recognition of significant investments” that have been towards sustainability in the industry.
“Wizz Air is committed to transparency and never exaggerates its environmental claims, ensuring they are always supported by strong, factual data,” the spokesperson continued.
The ASA said that future ads must provide the sufficient information for consumers to verify comparisons. The advertisement in question, in its original form, must also not appear again.