A Wizz Air Airbus A321ceo.
HAMBURG—The aviation sector still has some way to go to make its case on environmental matters as far as the general public is concerned, the Passenger Experience Conference (PEC) heard April 13.
A survey by Hungary-based ULCC Wizz Air found that travelers hugely overestimated the degree that the aviation sector contributed to global emissions and remain largely ignorant of subjects such as sustainable aviation fuels (SAF).
The survey of 16,000 Wizz passengers in December 2025 and January 2026 found that respondents believed the commercial aviation sector accounted for almost 21% of global emissions (the European Union Aviation Safety Agency calculates the actual amount at 2.5%). And 75% have never heard of SAF, a figure that has not moved since a previous survey a year ago, Wizz Air’s corporate communications manager Anastasia Novak, who handles sustainability communications, said.
Speaking at conference session “From Perception to Reality—Aviation’s Net Zero Reality,” Novak added that 56.4% of the passengers polled had never heard of the goal of the aviation sector reaching net zero by 2050.
Although the aviation sector is working hard to bring tangible reductions to its emissions, more needs to be done to bring this information to the attention of the public, Hamburg Airport’s deputy head of environmental matters, Julian Klassen said.
Hamburg Airport has done much to reduce emissions such as the use of APUs by aircraft on the apron and is working towards generating all its electricity from environmental sources, he said.
The airport owns approximately 700 hectares of land 25 km (16 mi.) north of the city and is building a wind farm with six windmills that will provide all the airport’s power when they come online. Additionally, the airport has reforested the land and uses as much rainfall as possible to provide water in the airport’s toilets.
“As an airport, we can do more,” Klassen said. “There’s a lot of information out there and it’s a balance between not flooding people and showing what we’re doing.”
These advances, together with measures such as cutting the use of single-use plastics and improved recycling, are acknowledged by most of its passengers, primarily Gen Z and Millennials—84% of whom say they try to be sustainable in their travel.
However, there remains a gap between bodies such as airports and the public, the session heard. There is a need to build a deeper connection with the public, as this type of relationship tends to resonate more than simple facts.
“A lot of it is about building an emotional connection with a passenger,” Gen Phoenix director of marketing and aviation sales Nicola Rapley said. Gen Phoenix produces e-leather, manufactured from material offcuts. “Once you start to do that, you start to get brand loyalty with a passenger,” she added.
Related Content
