Airline KLM has misled consumers by making vague green claims in advertisments, judges in Amsterdam said on Wednesday, in a court case brought by environmental campaign group Fossielvrij NL. 

In some adverts, the airline made “vague and general” claims about environmental advantages while in others the airline exaggerated the impact of using sustainable fuels and planting trees, the court said in its ruling.

These sorts of measures have a minimal effect on the impact of flying and give rise to the impression that using KLM’s services is a sustainable activity, the court said. In addition, slogans such as “step for step towards a sustainable future” do not make it clear what measures the company is taking and how they benefit the environment. 

The airline no longer uses the adverts and therefore does not have to rectify the claims. Nor does it have to warn consumers that flying is not an environmentally friendly activity, the court said. 

It is not yet clear if KLM plans to appeal.

Schiphol airport

In another aviation-related court ruling on Wednesday, judges in The Hague ruled that the state has not done enough to take the interests of people living close to Schiphol airport into account when deciding about air traffic numbers and noise.

Since 2010 officials have ignored official regulations designed to protect people living close to the airport, the court said. 

This means the state has acted in contravention of human rights treaties, the court ruled, giving ministers one year to fully comply with legislation that aims to protect locals living close to the airport.  

The case was brought by local residents who said they were experiencing health problems because of the aircraft noise.