According to the results of a new study conducted by a flight comparison website, a third of Britons admit that they would be willing to pay more for flight tickets if it meant it would help to reduce carbon emissions; lessening the environmental impact of their travels.

The environment is increasingly at the forefront of the minds of UK fliers, according to the results of a new study by a flight comparison website, which has revealed that a third of Britons would be willing to pay more on flights if they money was put towards cutting down the environmental impact of their flight.
The study, conducted by www.Jetcost.co.uk , polled 1,121 UK fliers aged 18 and over; asking questions surrounding their thoughts towards the carbon footprint of flying.

Those taking part were asked, ‘Would you be willing to pay more for flight tickets in order to offset the plane’s carbon emissions?’ to which over a third, 34%, said ‘yes’. When asked how much more they’d be willing to pay on top of the standard ticket price, the most popular answer amongst respondents, with 48% of the vote, was between £10-£20 extra.

In contrast, despite a third of respondents claiming that they would pay extra to help offset their carbon footprints; two thirds, 65%, admitted that they ‘wouldn’t reduce their flying’ due to the environmental impact.

The study asked respondents if they believed that responsibility lay with airlines to try to reduce the environmental impact of flying, to which 71% answered ‘yes’. When asked if they felt that enough was being done to reduce the carbon emissions of commercial aircraft, the majority, 66%, simply ‘didn’t know’.
Similarly, those taking part were asked if they had actively ‘changed any aspect’ of their travelling habits at home, in an attempt to cut their carbon footprint. Just a fifth, 22%, said ‘yes’; of which the most popular change was ‘taking public transport to work instead of driving’.

Jerome Cohen-Scali, Co-Founder of Jetcost.co.uk, commented on the findings:
“The carbon footprint that flying leaves is a hot environmental topic, and our results prove that the subject seems to be ringing in the ears of UK fliers. To see that a third would be willing to pay more to offset emissions is surprising, particularly in today’s tough economic climate; but I think this just goes to prove how much more important environment issues are to the general UK Public nowadays.”

He continued:
“Airlines are under increasing pressure to comply with emissions regulations, and new aircrafts are certainly aiming to help improve the carbon footprint that flying can leave. Certainly, flying isn’t the only culprit, and much can be done around the home by concerned Britons to reduce their carbon footprint. Little changes can make a great difference, so life needn’t be disrupted in order to be kinder to the environment.”