A climate change charity has denounced airline Loganair’s decision to increase its daily flights between Manchester and Aberdeen.
Flight Free UK has called for reduced flying after the UK’s largest regional airline has added a fourth return service between the two cities.
The airline blamed the expansion on an increased demand for travel and a need to facilitate connectivity – a comment which has been counteracted with an environmentally friendly alternative.
A representative of the charity said: “Faced with the current climate crisis, we should be doing everything we can to reduce emissions, and that means flying less, not more.”
They added: “Taking a train between these two locations emits just 18kg CO2 per passenger, as opposed to 106kg by air – a whopping 87% saving on your emissions.”
Flight Free UK is an environmental charity whose mission is to inform people of aviation’s impact on the climate and inspire alternative travel, motivating people to have a flightless year.
It said: “Connectivity is important for people up and down the United Kingdom, but we need to ensure we do this in a way that doesn’t put our futures, and our children’s futures, at risk.”
Luke Lovegrove, chief commercial officer at Loganair, said: “We are thrilled to expand our offering across our service from Manchester to Aberdeen as we respond to growing demand.
“Our service between Aberdeen and Manchester provides crucial connectivity, not just between two of the UK’s largest business hubs but additionally on to the more remote communities we serve.”
This announcement contrasts with the government’s plans to reach net zero emissions by 2050, with Flight Free UK suggesting investment in greener travel.
The government’s ten-point plan for a green industrial revolution includes Jet Zero, a strategy to reduce carbon dioxide emissions, as announced in September 2021’s net zero aviation consultation.
Mile for mile, air transportation is the most damaging form of travel for the environment, with the David Suzuki Foundation claiming that airline flying is going up 5% a year.
The one hour, 15 minute journey between Manchester and Aberdeen has fares starting at £76 each way.
In response to the criticism, a spokesperson for Loganair said: “Our additional daily flight between Aberdeen and Manchester represents a reduction in overall fuel use and emissions as the extra frequency replaces a competitor’s service which had previously been operated by a far larger aircraft.
“Comparisons between emissions from road, rail and air are frequently misleading. Diesel powered trains emit almost 75% more carbon per passenger km than their electric equivalents which means that any comparison between rail and air needs to be specific to the route. In this case, the rail emissions are higher than quoted because the line from Aberdeen is not electrified.
“Additionally, with a journey time of over five hours by rail and multiple changes required on most journeys, the rail alternative makes a day return journey impossible and leads to a higher requirement for hotel stays for travelers on this route in both Manchester and Aberdeen. The additional carbon costs of thousands of additional hotel stays are frequently missed when making comparisons between modes of travel, yet they can have a significant impact on the total carbon cost of journey choices.”
Image: A Loganair plane at Manchester Airport; photo by @MrAvgeek
