Airlines should be forced to issue “realistic travelling times” for domestic flights, a public transport lobby group has said in a call for greener travel.
The Campaign for Better Transport (CBT) said the rule should be introduced as part of its Fewer Flights Charter, which aims to reduce aviation’s carbon emissions.
Airline schedules do not include time spent at airports before and after flights, which can add a significant proportion to the duration of domestic trips.
For example, easyJet advertises flights between Birmingham and Edinburgh taking one hour and 10 minutes.
Most passengers undertaking such a journey will spend at least the same amount of time at airports.
The UK-based advocacy group’s charter states: “Require airlines to give passengers realistic travelling times for domestic flights.”
The group also wants airlines to offer free train tickets to people who book international flights, to encourage them to travel to the airport by rail instead of car.
It called for the government to reverse the recent 50 per cent cut in Air Passenger Duty for domestic flights, and to introduce a target for reducing the number of such trips.
The UK’s aviation sector has pledged to reach net zero for carbon emissions by 2050.
An increase in the use of sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) plays a key role in the drive to meet the target, while the development of zero-emission hydrogen-powered planes is also being promoted.
Norman Baker, CBT director of external affairs and former Lib Dem transport minister, said: “The government’s strategy for achieving net-zero aviation relies on technological advancements which are decades away, when we need to cut carbon emissions now.
“The only way to do that is for fewer flights to operate. Our 10-point charter offers a way to immediately reduce the aviation sector’s impact on the climate whilst simultaneously boosting the rail market.”
An airline source said many parts of the UK require domestic flights for business travel and essential connectivity, adding that such trips often involve crossing water, with no rail alternative.
In numbers: PKK’s money network in Europe
Germany: PKK collectors typically bring in $18 million in cash a year – amount has trebled since 2010
Revolutionary tax: Investigators say about $2 million a year raised from ‘tax collection’ around Marseille
Extortion: Gunman convicted in 2023 of demanding $10,000 from Kurdish businessman in Stockholm
Drug trade: PKK income claimed by Turkish anti-drugs force in 2024 to be as high as $500 million a year
Denmark: PKK one of two terrorist groups along with Iranian separatists ASMLA to raise “two-digit million amounts”
Contributions: Hundreds of euros expected from typical Kurdish families and thousands from business owners
TV channel: Kurdish Roj TV accounts frozen and went bankrupt after Denmark fined it more than $1 million over PKK links in 2013
White hydrogen: Naturally occurring hydrogen
Chromite: Hard, metallic mineral containing iron oxide and chromium oxide
Ultramafic rocks: Dark-coloured rocks rich in magnesium or iron with very low silica content
Ophiolite: A section of the earth’s crust, which is oceanic in nature that has since been uplifted and exposed on land
Olivine: A commonly occurring magnesium iron silicate mineral that derives its name for its olive-green yellow-green colour
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Three tips from La Perle's performers
1 The kind of water athletes drink is important. Gwilym Hooson, a 28-year-old British performer who is currently recovering from knee surgery, found that out when the company was still in Studio City, training for 12 hours a day. “The physio team was like: ‘Why is everyone getting cramps?’ And then they realised we had to add salt and sugar to the water,” he says.
2 A little chocolate is a good thing. “It’s emergency energy,” says Craig Paul Smith, La Perle’s head coach and former Cirque du Soleil performer, gesturing to an almost-empty open box of mini chocolate bars on his desk backstage.
3 Take chances, says Young, who has worked all over the world, including most recently at Dragone’s show in China. “Every time we go out of our comfort zone, we learn a lot about ourselves,” she says.
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