Friday, June 18, 2021
EasyJet has received criticism from environmentalists of all over the world after announcing the launch of 12 new domestic flight routes in the wake of widespread restrictions on foreign travel.
The carrier’s latest routes go between Manchester and Edinburgh, Liverpool and Bournemouth, and Birmingham and Newquay. The environmentalists have accused the budget airline of putting profits over planetary health.
John Sauven, executive director of Greenpeace UK said that the domestic flights have long been a symbol of how our economic system incentivises our own destruction. The companies like easyJet claim to take sustainability seriously, but their announcement of 12 new domestic routes, including one under 200 miles, shows they will not prioritise their planet’s health over their profits until they are forced to do so by law.
By plane, the journey between Liverpool and Bournemouth will take around an hour, while the Birmingham to Newquay route will take an hour and 15 minutes by air. Travelling by train to the same locations takes more than five hours and involves changing trains. EasyJet’s new routes were previously served by Flybe and Stobart Air – which operated Aer Lingus Regional – but both companies collapsed during the pandemic.
Britain’s biggest budget carrier has said that the new flights will provide Brits with more opportunity to reconnect with friends and family across the country or enjoy a long-awaited break and explore more of the UK this summer.
Tags: easyJet, Manchester
