Easyjet says it emits 27 per cent less CO2 than rivals

Easyjet's published its first Environmental Code today, promising to be 'efficient in the air' and 'efficient on the ground' as well steering aviation to a greener future.

The airline reckons it's actually one of the greener ones in the skies, claiming to emit 27 per cent less CO2 than a trad airline on the same route. The saving, it admits, is due to the fact that everyone's crammed in to a sausage tube. Its A319s have 26 per cent more seats than your typical A319, meaning 57 per cent more passengers: hence the low fuel per passenger figure.

Though it doesn't currrently offer carbon offsetting when you book a trip on its website, Easyjet is now pledging to make it easier for punters to offset their flights, so expect a carbon offset tick box soon.

Easyjet's CEO Andy Harrison also suggests there's a magic techno fix to cut CO2 from flights. 'I believe that we are on the cusp of major advances in aircraft and engine technologies which will lead to dramatic reductions in emissions,' he says.

I've dropped Easyjet a note to find out what exactly those technologies are. As I understand, biodiesel is the only one almost ready to go and that has to be mixed in extremely small ratios to conventional airplane fuel - plus there's room for biodiesel to be extremely non-green, if produced and transported in the wrong way.

Easyjet's news follows Virgin's plans last year to tow its planes at London airports to cut down on fuel.