BA to review use of fuel tankering
British Airways owner International Airlines Group has indicated it will review the practice of fuel tankering.
Monday night’s BBC Panorama programme, Can Flying Go Green? programme reported IAG chief executive Willie Walsh thinks the practice may be wrong and it will be reviewed.
He told investors financial sustainability should not be incentivised at the detriment of environmental sustainability.
As highlighted on the Panorama programme, tankering describes the process of airlines taking on extra fuel than needed, either to save money when it’s more expensive elsewhere in Europe or at time when it is operationally deemed necessary.
BA is not the only airline that carries out fuel tankering. However, an insider said BA was ‘hypocritical’ because it makes much of its commitment to be a leading advocate of sustainable travel.
The insider blew the whistle because he said the practice was at odds with BA’s commitment – and that of the industry in general – to cut carbon emissions.
BA said it was common industry practice.
However, in a recording of an address to investors last week, which was played on Radio 4’s PM programme on Monday, Walsh indicated the practice needed reviewing.
In the recording he said: "We are looking at incentivising managers to ensure we are not incentivising the wrong behaviour because clearly the financial saving would have incentivised us just to do fuel tankering.
"But maybe that’s the wrong thing to do and the wrong way to incentivise, so we want to make sure we have our incentives aligned to the right activities to ensure financial sustainability but also to ensure environmental sustainability."
BBC chief environment correspondent Justin Rowlatt, who presented the Panorama programme, told PM: "As this story shows, sometimes saving money can have a negative impact, in this case, on the environment and it all adds up.
"Europe-wide tankering adds up to a lot of extra emissions – an estimated 900,000 tons [per year]. To put that in perspective, it’s about the same as the annual emissions from a European town of 100,000 people."
Justin Francis, founder and CEO of Responsible Travel, called on governments to intervene to make airlines more accountable.
He said: "We see many airlines turning to carbon offsets as a cynical greenwashing ploy: offsets don’t work and they delay innovation and investment in cleaner technology.
"What we need – and urgently – is carbon reduction, and that involves investment, which airlines are failing to commit to.
"Airline lip service to reforms has to be challenged. The polluter must pay principle has to apply and we need concrete proposals for effective reforms, through government intervention."
Lisa
Lisa joined Travel Weekly nearly 25 years ago as technology reporter and then sailed around the world for a couple of years as cruise correspondent, before becoming deputy editor. Now freelance, Lisa writes for various print and web publications, edits Corporate Traveller’s client magazine, Gateway, and works on the acclaimed Remembering Wildlife series of photography books, which raise awareness of nature’s most at-risk species and helps to fund their protection.
Vegas’s Billion-Dollar Secrets – What They Don’t Want Tourists to Know
Visit Florida’s New CEO Bryan Griffin Shares His Vision for State Tourism with Graham
Chicago’s Tourism Renaissance: Graham Interviews Kristin Reynolds of Choose Chicago
Graham Talks with Cassandra McCauley of MMGY NextFactor About the Latest Industry Research
Destination International’s Andreas Weissenborn: Research, Advocacy, and Destination Impact
Graham and Don Welsh Discuss the Success of Destinations International’s Annual Conference
Graham and CEO Andre Kiwitz on Ventura Travel’s UK Move and Recruitment for the Role
Brett Laiken and Graham Discuss Florida’s Tourism Momentum and Global Appeal
Graham and Elliot Ferguson on Positioning DC as a Cultural and Inclusive Global Destination
Graham Talks to Fraser Last About His England-to-Ireland Trek for Mental Health Awareness
Kathy Nelson Tells Graham About the Honour of Hosting the World Cup and Kansas City’s Future
Graham McKenzie on Sir Richie Richardson’s Dual Passion for Golf and His Homeland, Antigua
ADS PRO 
Phocuswright reveals the world's largest travel markets in volume in 2025
Cyclone in Sri Lanka had limited effect on tourism in contrary to media reports
Higher departure tax and visa cost, e-arrival card: Japan unleashes the fiscal weapon against tourists
Singapore to forbid entry to undesirable travelers with new no-boarding directive
In Italy, the Meloni government congratulates itself for its tourism achievements