Regulator issues new guidance for airlines on publishing clear and comparable emissions information

Consumers in the UK are set to gain clearer and more consistent information about the environmental impact of their flights following the publication of new guidance by the UK Civil Aviation Authority (CAA). The regulator has released a framework outlining how airlines and other flight booking organisations should present emissions data to passengers.

The guidance is designed to improve the availability of comparable and standardised emissions information, enabling passengers to make more informed travel choices. In time, when customers book flights that depart from or arrive at UK airports, information such as the amount of carbon emitted by a specific flight should be clearly displayed at the point of booking.

While emissions information is already available on some flight comparison websites and in other transport sectors such as rail, the Civil Aviation Authority says the data is not currently presented in a consistent or comparable way. The new framework aims to address this by setting out clear principles and preferred methodologies for calculating and displaying emissions figures.

Key objectives of the guidance include presenting emissions information in a clear and consistent format, encouraging greater transparency across the aviation sector, and supporting the industry’s wider efforts to achieve net zero emissions. The framework also allows room for innovation as scientific understanding and data quality continue to evolve.

Tim Johnson, Director at the UK Civil Aviation Authority, said: “Airlines providing understandable and comparable emissions data will enable passengers to make more informed travel decisions. We encourage all airlines and travel companies that advertise or sell flights in the UK which depart from or arrive at UK airports to follow this guidance.”

The framework follows a consultation held in 2024 and builds on an earlier Call for Evidence in 2023. The regulator expects organisations to have adopted the guidance by April 2027. After this date, the Civil Aviation Authority will review airlines, travel agents and flight comparison websites and report on progress.

The guidance forms part of the regulator’s wider sustainability work, including its Aviation Environmental Review, which reports on greenhouse gas emissions, noise and air quality impacts across the UK aviation sector.

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