European cargo airline Cargolux announced last week its fleet of Boeing 747s will no longer carry disposable vapes. The company said it made the decision for “ethical reasons.” Cargolux’s Italian subsidiary Cargolux Italia will also stop carrying the popular vape devices.
The action could affect distribution of disposables in several European countries. Cargolux said in a press release the decision was made “in response to growing concern about the adverse effects of these products on both public health and the environment.”
Cargolux Airlines International is the seventh-largest cargo-only airline in the world, and the largest based in Europe. The company has offices in over 50 countries, and delivers freight to more than 75 destinations, including 10 cities in the United States. It also operates and is part-owner of Italian carrier Cargolux Italia.
Echoing claims made by anti-vaping groups and politicians, Cargolux says disposable vapes “pose a significant risk to human health, particularly for younger generations, given their targeted marketing with attractive flavors.” The company also said the lithium ion batteries in disposables are not recyclable, which is not true.
France has begun the process of banning disposable vapes, and the British government says it intends to ban them too.
“With this action, we hope to contribute to reducing the availability of these products on the market,” said Cargolux president and CEO Richard Forson. “As a responsible corporate citizen, Cargolux aims for this initiative to encourage other logistics operators to adopt similar measures.”
The two largest air carriers in the world, U.S.-based Fedex and UPS, both announced in early 2021 they would stop carrying vaping products (by air or ground) in the United States. The decision followed passage of a law that added vaping products to the Prevent All Cigarette Trafficking (PACT Act), banning U.S. Mail delivery of vaping products.
Because of declining cigarette sales, state governments in the U.S. and countries around the world are looking to vapor products as a new source of tax revenue.
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