“What’s Flight Shaming? Is it like what happened regarding the recent airplane controversy between a popular journalist and comedian?” my colleague asked me. Well, for those of you wondering about the meaning of flight shaming, let me tell you that this is the latest step towards responsible travelling. Flight shaming is the inherent guilt a person feels as a result of one’s aviation-related carbon footprint. This is causing passengers to explore alternate modes of transportation to reach a destination to reduce their carbon emissions. People are now gradually paying more attention to the environment and opting for the Swedish concept of “flygskam” or “flight shame”. This is where people must feel embarrassed or ashamed for flying by planes due to the damage it causes to the environment.
How Did Flight Shaming Start?
An anti-flying movement was started in Sweden by Swedish singer Staffan Lindberg. He wrote an article and it was signed by five of his influential friends. Greta Thunberg’s mother, Malena Ernman and Olympic winter gold medallist Bjorn Ferry also signed the article with a commitment to give up flying. The anti flying movement suggests that people must feel ashamed to travel by planes because of its negative impact on the environment. After all air travel is responsible for 3% of global carbon emissions and this rate would only grow by 3.5% per year.
Climate change activist, Greta Thunberg not only vociferously backed this campaign but also made it a significant part of her ‘awareness tour’ around Europe. She has not flown on a singly aeroplane since 2015 and commuted all the way from Stockholm in Sweden to London by train and she urges everyone to also turn their backs off flying. Greta Thunberg is not alone. A survey conducted by Swiss Bank UBS in 2019, surveying more than 6000 people in the UK, France and Germany revealed that 21% of people had reduced the number of flights they took that year. One in five people surveyed had cut down their air travel due to the damage it caused to the environment. The study also revealed that air traffic growth could halve as people take a more planet-friendly approach to travelling.
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Growth Of Flight Shaming Movement
Sweden has seen a rise in the movement of “flygskam” or “flight shame”, the increase in rail travel over the last couple of years in the country and decrease in flight is testimony to this. The number of people flying at the ten busiest airports in Sweden has fallen by 8% from January to April in 2019, this is as per Swedavia who run Sweden’s airports. The Chief Executive of SAS, which is one of Scandinavia’s biggest airlines blames the flight shaming movement for fall in passenger numbers in Sweden. He credited the movement for a decline in Swedish air traffic. You can travel to Sweden To London Via Overnight Sleeper Trains By 2022 Because Of Flight Shaming!
Some people have been critical of the movement as they feel it’s unfortunate that passengers are being made to feel ashamed or guilty for flying by planes when instead the airlines and industries associated should be guilt for the impact they are having on the planet. However, in a totally surprising move, a Dutch airline, KLM came in support of the move. They launched a ‘Fly Responsibly’ campaign urging their passengers to fly less in consideration of the environment. They encouraged passengers to have a meeting online or travel by train instead of flying. In order to protect the planet for the next generations, KLM airlines stated that they were are working day and night to change aviation and become more planet-friendly. Well, this is a fresh approach. Did you know Studies Find That Basic Economy Class Passengers Are Happier With Their Flights?
What Can You Do?
Responsible travel is not only a growing trend but the need of the hour. You can take simple steps to be a part of this movement. Depending on your time and convenience, do travel by a sleeper bus or train if possible. And if air travel is the only way, then do take a direct flight. You can reduce your carbon footprint by changing your lifestyle and flying less. Avoid short-haul flights. A report by NASA reveals that 25% of aeroplane emissions occur during takeoff and landing. So if you don’t take a direct flight, then you end up having a higher per pound footprint. So instead of taking man connecting flights, take a direct one. So these are some of the ways you can travel and fly responsibly. Travelling is not only about having fun. It’s about caring about the environment and people and being in the moment in a way that can sustain the planet for future generations.