New UK Flights Cut Carbon Emissions

Quite a lot of the blame for carbon emissions is blamed on the airline industry, and various initiatives have been introduced to try and address that to satisfy the flying public and environmental lobby.

Actions have included allowing passengers to opt into paying extra when they book their flights to offset carbon emissions and greenhouse gases, and for the funds to go to organisations that will plant new trees and other actions which are good for the environment.

Cynics might argue that this is a clever marketing ploy as it addresses the concerns of some passengers about how their flying will impact the world, while those who aren't concerned simply don't pay - a voluntary green tax.

And it takes away any guilt felt by environmentally concerned passengers, and allows the airlines to defend themselves by stating that they are doing all they can to help reduce any environmental damage that might be caused by flights.

There are even awards now for airlines that are deemed 'greenest' which are regularly updated. Three airlines that seem to do particularly well for the way they are addressing the environmental concerns of flying include Continental Airlines, Virgin and Alaska Airlines.

Alaska Airlines for example have an efficient recycling programme in place, while Virgin wins praise for having a young fleet and for the use of winglets, which improve the aerodynamics of an aircraft, reducing fuel consumption - something many airlines have now adopted included budget airlines such as easyJet.

But there's more being introduced to reduce the perceived damage to the environment caused by the airline industry, much of directly reducing carbon emissions rather than the up to now popular offsetting carbon programmes offered by many airlines at the time of a passenger booking a flight.

Thomson Holidays for example are introducing a new biofuel, initially to be used for their Majorca holidays - which is based on cooking oil, with the well known tour operator hoping to reduce its carbon footprint in the process. It might take a few flights before potential passengers are convinced.

According to a report in the travel section of British newspaper The Daily Mail, Thomson Holidays have said that the flights will operate on a 50/50 blend of Jet A1 fuel and hydroprocessed esters and fatty acids (HEFA) fuel -- made from used cooking oil.

The tour operator operates its own fleet of aircraft and along with Thomas Cook are the best known holidays company in the UK. They offer Majorca flights from no fewer than 19 regional airports, including Birmingham where the first flights using the new fuel will be from, initially at the end of July, again in September, and during the winter for their Alicante flights.

Choosing Spain's Majorca and Alicante is appropriate in environmental terms, as the country is a European leader for renewable energy, with not just wind turbines but solar power increasingly adding to their national grid to reduce their dependence on imported oil and natural gas - and if Spain can reduce her energy imports it could make a good difference to the country's balance of payments at a time when her economy is in need of help.

With the glorious Majorca weather, just remember the cooking oil is for the flights, use proper suntan lotions for yourself and your family - especially if you have children travelling with you.