An advert for Wizz Air has been banned for misleading consumers with the claim that it was “one of the greenest choices in air travel”.
The Google ad, seen on June 9, stated: “Fly Wizz Air – one of the greenest choices in air travel.”
Defending the ad, Wizz Air told the Advertising Standards Authority (ASA) that it had committed “billions of euros” to aiding the airline industry’s decarbonisation efforts while operating the “youngest and most carbon-efficient fleet in Europe”.
As a result, the airline said it had the lowest carbon emissions per passenger.
The company also explained that it was replacing its fleet of Airbus A320ceo aircraft with the Airbus A321neo, with a reduction in fuel consumption of 10% and a per-seat fuel improvement of 20%.
It said it has invested in the research and development of sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) and established an independent Sustainability and Culture Committee, whose job included ensuring the airline’s statements on sustainability adhered to legislation.
The ASA said consumers would understand the claim “one of the greenest choices in air travel” to mean that Wizz Air’s environmental impact was among the lowest of all the airlines operating flights to and from the UK.
It said: “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.
“Furthermore, 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 Code.”
The ASA ruled that the ad must not appear again, adding: “We told Wizz Air to ensure the basis of future comparative environmental claims was made clear and did not give a misleading impression of their flights’ environmental impact, and that ads provided sufficient information to enable consumers to verify comparisons with identifiable competitors or signposted consumers to such information.”
A Wizz Air spokeswoman 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.
“Wizz Air is committed to transparency and never exaggerates its environmental claims, ensuring they are always supported by strong, factual data.”
