Air France-KLM has become the first airline group to take part in the EU¡¯s new Flight Emissions Label initiative, which aims to create a more ¡°reliable and harmonised¡± method of estimating emissions from flights.

The European Commission announced plans for the Flight Emissions Label (FEL) last year as a way of providing ¡°standardised information¡± on the carbon footprint of flights in the EU.

The EU¡¯s aviation regulator, European Union Aviation Safety Agency?(EASA), has now signed a memorandum of co-operation giving Air France and KLM the ability to test the FEL scheme. This will allow the sister carriers to ¡°receive reliable information¡± from EASA about their emissions before officially applying to join the scheme.

The new label will assess operational factors such as aircraft type,?passenger numbers?and?the freight?carried?on board, as well as the amount and type of?aviation fuels?used.

Florian Guillermet, executive director of EASA, said: ¡°As a result of this agreement, the airline group will be providing valuable insights to help us shape, refine and optimise the scheme to prepare for its wider implementation.¡±

The EU also wants FEL to be used to enable passengers to make ¡°more informed decisions¡± about which flights to book and ¡°protect them from misleading greenwashing claims¡±.

Apostolos Tzitzikostas, the EU¡¯s commissioner for sustainable transport and tourism, welcomed Air France-KLM¡¯s decision to become the first airlines to join the scheme.

¡°This decisive step turns their commitment to decarbonisation into concrete action, reinforcing fair competition, transparency and trust,¡± added Tzitzikostas.

¡°It also marks a key milestone in the rollout of the EU Flight Emissions Label and ReFuelEU Aviation, while helping to accelerate the uptake of sustainable aviation fuels to cut flight emissions.¡±

Working with Air France-KLM will allow the EU to pre-assess the emission values and estimate the ¡°required efforts to implement the scheme¡±, as well as testing digital tools such as EASA¡¯s Sustainability Portal and data reporting processes.

The EU is also calling for other carriers to take part in the Flight Emissions Label scheme, which will be voluntary for the airline sector.

Benjamin Smith, CEO of Air France-KLM, said: ¡°We are proactively collaborating with the European Commission and EASA, bringing our expertise to the forefront of initiatives like the EU Flight Emissions Label.

¡°Our early and active participation is designed to help shape a fair, transparent and effective framework for all airlines. This initiative is a critical component of our broader strategy to lead the decarbonisation of our industry.¡±