Greenpeace urging air passengers to switch to train

An environmental pressure group is encouraging air passengers to boycott a new British Airways domestic service by offering those booked on its first flight free rail tickets instead.

Greenpeace accused BA of being an “irresponsible” company that is “flying in the face of climate science” as it prepared to launch the 260-mile London to Cornwall service.

The 140-seat Boeing 737 flights from Gatwick airport to the Cornish coastal town of Newquay will begin on Tuesday.

Greenpeace is offering all passengers booked on the first return flight the chance to swap their air ticket for a free train ticket instead.

A spokesman said: “We hope people who are booked on the flight will think seriously about ripping up their BA ticket and taking up Greenpeace’s offer instead.

“We really have to do something about this culture of binge-flying that British Airways is doing so much to bring about.”

Environmentalists argue air travel causes 10 times more damage to the climate than travelling by train.

The Greenpeace spokesman added: “It will be difficult to reach our long-term climate change targets unless we curtail this huge growth in aviation.”

Defending its new service and its green credentials, BA said in a statement: “We are providing travel for those people who want to get between Gatwick and Cornwall in one hour.

“The train from (London) Paddington to Newquay takes approximately five hours.

“As an airline, we have made enormous efforts to address our impact on climate change. We have improved our fuel efficiency by 27% since 1990.

“We are the only airline in the world currently undertaking emissions trading and have lobbied for many years for aviation to be included in the EU emissions trading scheme.”

Adverts advising passengers how to exchange their BA ticket for the Greenpeace rail ticket will appear in national newspapers on Monday.

BA flights from London to Newquay are scheduled to fly daily from Gatwick airport at 11.50am, returning at 2.20pm.