Campaign group asks Premier League teams to kick flights into touch

Campaign group Possible are calling on Premier League teams to stop taking flights to domestic games, an indulgence they say is particularly egregious as they’re barely saving any time doing so.

Manchester City are cited as especially guilty of this, having taken a private jet to ten of their 19 domestic Premier League games last season, saving an average of just an hour per trip. Those ten flights generated 56 tonnes of CO2 emissions. If they travelled by electric coach instead, it would take them 21 years to match that figure.

It has been calculated that 84% of Premier League away games can be reached by coach in under four and a half hours.

Possible say: ‘Football’s governing bodies have the power to speed up the transition to flight-free football, and to shift norms so that more footballers can choose flight-free travel.

‘So we’re asking decision makers in the FA, the Premier League and the Women’s Super League to take action today and implement a simple ‘no fly’ policy for their leagues.

‘Instead of chartering unnecessary flights, football teams should kit out luxury electric coaches with everything from far-reclining seats to onboard physiotherapists, designed for pre- and post- game comfort.’

Possible’s campaign encourages fans to email the Premier League’s CEO, Richard Masters, to support a flight ban, saying ‘Footballers have profound influence on wider society and people’s views about crucial issues such as the environment. Implementing a no fly policy would be a strong sign of climate leadership, and an important step towards net zero.’

Crystal Palace are highlighted as a club who are doing things the right way. On their Palace for the Planet page they list their environmental commitments which include a matchday kit made from 100% polyester sourced from recycled plastic and a first team coach powered by Hydrotreated Vegetable Oil.

Possible’s call for clubs to avoid air travel comes on the eve of the Green Football Weekend, on which fans are encouraged to go to games by public transport and players are encouraged to eat more plant-based food.