Etihad Airways has become the latest major carrier to be penalised by Britain's regulator for publishing allegedly misleading and "exaggerated" environmental advertising.
The Abu Dhabi carrier's "sustainable aviation " ad campaign has been banned in the UK after the Advertising Standards Authority (ASA) said it was misleading people by “exaggerating the environmental benefits of flying”.
The airline, which has for years featured prominently in the UK due to its sponsorship of football club Manchester City, promoted a “louder, bolder approach to sustainable aviation” in the campaign, which was based around posts on Facebook.
The ASA said UK marketing rules require claims such as "sustainable aviation" to be backed by sufficient evidence. "Initiatives such as reducing single use plastics and using more efficient aircraft were not adequate substantiation to evidence a 'sustainable aviation' claim," the ASA explained in its statement regarding the ruling.
Citing similar reasons, the ASA recently banned billboards put up by Lufthansa, which frequently touts its "green" credentials.