German non-profitable organization , Atmosfair ranks global carriers from A to G, A being the highest class for airlines that have reached the optimum level of carbon emissions.
Not a single carrier achieved such a status and only two made it into category B: Tui Airways, the overall winner, and LATAM Airlines Brazil, in second. In terms of UK carriers, Thomas Cook Airlines came in seventh, and Jet2.com 11th; but British Airways – which has the UK’s biggest fleet – was ranked significantly further down the charts at 74th, while Virgin Atlantic took 83rd place and Flybe performed even worse at 98th, out of the 125 airlines compared. Bottom of the table was South African Airlink.
A representative for the Airlines UK association told that UK airlines are making enormous efforts to reduce their carbon emissions, and are committed to a global target to cut CO2 emissions from all flights by 50 per cent of their 2005 levels by 2050, through technology, operational efficiency improvements and the use of sustainable biofuels.
Atmosfair states that by far the best way for carriers to reduce their greenhouse gas emissions is to invest in new, more energy efficient aircraft like the Airbus A320neo and the Boeing 787 MAX.
