Short haul under fire

Ever since I co-founded Plane Stupid, back in November 2005, we’ve been campaigning against the unprecedented and unsustainable growth in short-haul and domestic flights. For us, the decision to focus on short-haul was an easy one. 45% of flights within Western Europe are less than 500km long – London to Edinburgh – and are almost entirely unnecessary. Aviation is the fastest growing cause of climate change, and it’s clear that flying short distances, where there are adequate rail, coach or ferry alternatives, is making a mockery of environmental concerns.

Short-haul operators will tell you that they provide a valid and economically-essential service, flying hard-working families and important businessmen on journeys which are single-handedly propping up our otherwise-ailing economy. Rail, they argue, is overpriced and overcrowded, too slow, heavily subsided and a thoroughly outmoded way to travel. Airlines are ‘going green’, ‘growing sustainably’, ‘offsetting their carbon’. Short-haul flights are the future, and we need to get with the programme.

Sorry chaps, but we don’t agree. Firstly, on most journeys trains are almost as fast, if not faster, than flying (see: Times article) once you factor in the journey time to and from the airport, time spent having your bag searched by security, and inevitable delays because the overworked pilot fell asleep at the controls. Provided you book ahead rail is also often cheaper, once you add in the taxes, ‘optional’ extras and every other charge they left off the advert (see: Advertising Standards Authority adjudication on Ryanair) – including a taxi from the airport in Hicksville to the city centre. And as for subsidy – well, I’d think the £9 billion aviation gets annually makes this a bit of a ‘pot’ / ‘kettle’ situation.

I love the image of businessmen jetting about, making crucial deals which keep the economy afloat. I love it because I’m a child of the eighties, and it brings a warm glow of nostalgia. Around the world, major multinationals are investing heavily in purpose-built video-conferencing suites to reduce the need for their executives to travel. I’m sure that most business flyers think they’re more important than Barclays executives (see: Videoconferencing Insight Newsletter) but frankly, reps from Swindon flogging paperclips are just wasting company cash to fly around feeling good because they’re on the company’s account. If you really think that half a day spent queuing at security is the best way for your staff to spend their time, then heaven help your long-term business strategy. Marketing Weekly called short haul flights “unnecessary and outdated and therefore facing decline” – but who are they to judge your expenses claim?

Recently bandwagon-jumping airports have declared that they will be going ‘carbon neutral’, offsetting emissions and reducing the amount people drive. Again, nonsense. East Midlands airport is the leader in the neutrality argument, but it fails to include the emissions from flights in its calculations – a bit like a diet where you ignore all the cake. It would be lovely if expansion at Southampton airport reduced emissions by flying people to Heathrow, but unless they’re driving alone in a super-charged Range Rover then it’s going to be less polluting to drive – and even less to travel by train.

It’s argued that regional airports would close if short-haul flights went the way of the dodo. Apologies for placing the survival of the human race above several hundred poorly paid service industry jobs: it’s just that I find an inhabitable planet a more appealing place to earn £5.25 an hour in. Perhaps those jobs could be saved through a reduction in the £17billion tourism deficit – less flights to Prague or Amsterdam might mean more holidays in our crumbling seaside resorts or National Parks. They’re not as cold as they used to be, you know.

Our message to airport operators is this – this isn’t a bit of media turbulence that you can ride out. Climate change is the biggest problem ever, bar none, and you’re making it worse faster than anyone else. All the environmental movement is doing is pointing that out. We’re not going away - but even if we did, your emissions will still be hanging around.

Climate change has already killed millions. What you have to consider is that in a few years time, when the death toll is in eight figures, are you still going to be happy arguing that it’s worth it? For the sake of cheap beer at your stag do, or a real human handshake at your business meeting? And when it gets to hundreds of millions? Sooner or later, even Michael O’Leary is going to swap sides. Defect now and avoid the rush.

Richard George
Plane Stupid

See: a response to this article from Michelle Di Leo, director of Flying Matters

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