UK bans Etihad Airways ad campaign, calls it ‘exaggerated’

April 13, 2023 776

UAE national carrier Etihad Airways sponsors the Manchester City Premier League and also holds stadium naming rights, as part of its extensive marketing strategy

An Etihad Airways ad campaign on “sustainable aviation” has been banned by the UK, as it was reportedly misleading consumers over the environmental impact of flying.

The airline ran two Facebook adverts promoting its green credentials, which promoted its “louder, bolder approach to sustainable aviation.

UAE national carrier Etihad Airways sponsors the Manchester City Premier League and also holds stadium naming rights, as part of its extensive marketing strategy.

The ad campaign also put out the idea that passengers choosing Etihad was making a “conscious choice for the planet,” as it cuts back on single-use plastic cutlery.

As per an investigation by the Advertising Standards Authority (ASA), the ad campaign’s claims were misleading by “exaggerating the environmental benefits of flying” with the airline.

Meanwhile, Etihad Airways acknowledged that their claim about eco-friendly aviation was not a complete solution to address the environmental impact of air travel.

The airline recognised that achieving their goal of reaching net zero carbon emissions by 2050 was a complex and long-term process, and that their strategy involved using modern and fuel-efficient planes and developing sustainable aviation fuel production in the UAE.

However, the ASA pointed out that UK marketing regulations required substantial evidence to support absolute environmental claims like “sustainable aviation.”

“We noted steps were being taken by Etihad to reduce the environmental impact of its service,” the ASA said.

“[However], we understood that there were currently no initiatives or commercially viable technologies in operation within the aviation industry which would adequately substantiate an absolute green claim such as ‘sustainable aviation’ as we considered consumers would interpret it in this context,” ruled the ASA.

“We concluded, therefore, that the claim exaggerated the impact that flying with Etihad would have on the environment and the ads breached the [advertising] code.”